Courtship
by FanficMonster101
Summary: He's definitely a genius. Just...not when it comes to his feelings. Frankly, Hinata isn't helping anything either. ::SasuHina::
1. Interest

**Me:** I'm a terrible person, I know. I should be updating my other stories, not embarking on new ones. But I was sitting in class today, and the whole time I was just thinking of getting home so I could write this. I'd love to hear your input, even if you aren't very happy with me.

Pwetty pwease?

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Age 9***

****{0-o-0-o-0}****

"Alright, guys – we'll see if you can handle this. For your reports on ancient Mesopotamia, I'm going to let you pick your own partners!"

As soon as the last word had left the teacher's mouth, kids were jumping together, grabbing hands, running off to a corner of the room, as if they feared that at any minute their project partner would be snatched up by someone else.

Hinata, who had just finished copying down the instructions, looked up, and watched everyone pair off. She didn't mind that she wasn't being picked right away – she usually ended up with Kiba or Shino, or on the off chance that either Sakura or Ino was sick, the other would pick her.

Speaking of the dynamic duo...

"He's _my_ partner!"

"Nuh-uh, I saw him first! Didn't I, Sasuke-kun?"

The Uchiha's only response was to calmly shrug them off, walk over to Hinata's desk, and yank her up, announcing to anyone who cared, "We're partners."

Sakura and Ino, still grasping the space that he had been occupying seconds ago, stared. Then turned to Hinata. Finally, after a moment of surveying her and deciding whether or not to hate her, they dropped their stances, shrugged, and linked arms, flouncing off to Ino's table to work.

Hinata, for her part, was incredibly confused. She did not know Sasuke well. She did not know Sasuke at all. Kiba was currently glaring at them, having been forced to pair off with Naruto, who was _way_ less pleasant than Hinata. Hinata wanted to apologize, but Sasuke was already dragging her off to his usual table, on the other side of the room. Hinata stumbled after him, blushing and feeling extremely uncomfortable. She had never sat on this side of the room...it was strange. And it contained strangers.

Hinata did not do well with strangers.

Sasuke finally released his grip on her arm and sat down at the Blue Table, where he usually sat with Naruto and Sakura. Hinata stood for a second, before Sasuke shot her an annoyed look. She sat down immediately.

Sasuke promptly started outlining their project, writing it down on a piece of paper. "We're going to do ziggurats." He looked up, black eyes boring into hers. "Do you know what those are?" Hinata nodded, incredibly thankful that she actually did. Sasuke looked back down at his paper and resumed writing. "You're going to do the stuff about the shrines at the top. Got it?" Another intimidating glance, and Hinata once again nodded, trying not to feel overwhelmed. "I'm going to do the architecture and the builders." There was no room for discussion. Sasuke's word was apparently law.

"Understand?"

Hinata once again weakly nodded.

She wasn't so sure she liked having project partners anymore.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

On the day of presentations, Sasuke was immaculately prepared. He was an Uchiha, after all. Hinata had anticipated this, and had worked her hardest to make sure that her own part of the project was just as flawless.

They had a poster (courtesy of Hinata) and a PowerPoint (courtesy of Sasuke). In a desperate attempt to do something above and beyond, Hinata had even baked brownies in the shape of ziggurats. Everyone munched happily, and Sasuke and Hinata presented.

She was beyond nervous, but the night before, she had memorized her lines so well that during her part, she stuttered but once, and that was when her eyes accidentally landed on Naruto, and he gave her a thumbs-up, his mouth full of ziggurat-brownie. Sasuke presented in a professional monotone, sounding so adult and cool that all the girls were swooning by his third sentence.

After it was all over, everyone clapped politely (or more than politely, in Sakura and Ino's case) and Iruka-sensei congratulated them on a job well done.

It was the end of the day. Hinata packed up her things, smiling a bit as Kiba shouted "good job" at her from across the room. She was just zipping her backpack when she was approached by her partner.

He looked down at her contemplatively. "You were good," he said after a moment, nodding. Hinata flushed, and muttered a thank-you, and scurried out of the room.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

When the next big project came around, Hinata was immediately snatched up by Naruto, who enthusiastically cited her last work as one of the reasons he wanted her for a partner. Blushing and smiling and stammering over the attention of her crush, she did not notice Sasuke's miniscule scowl from across the room, at the Blue Table.


	2. Bullying

Me: Gosh. I love the reviews. You guys are amazing, and I think you should all receive some fancy, tastefully-decorated fruit baskets.

Song of the day (for Akatsuki): Iron by Woodkid

Enjoy!

{0-o-0-o-0}

***Age 10***

{0-o-0-o-0}

Maybe it was just her, or maybe Sasuke had gone a little crazy. But something had been...odd about him this year. Moreover, there seemed to be a pattern to his behavior...it always got progressively worse throughout the week.

Monday:

Hinata stared, disbelievingly, at the mess of school supplies on the floor. Sasuke glanced down at them, before bending down and picking one up. "Here." He offered one to her. "You dropped your books."

Hinata stared at him, then accepted her Math textbook. Sasuke walked away, not waiting for a "thank you". She wouldn't have given him one anyway.

He was, after all, the one who de-booked her in the first place.

Tuesday:

Hinata's hair was shiny. Really shiny. And it was indigo, and soft-looking, like some sort of blue, downy blanket that he really wanted to touch.

Sasuke leaned forward in his seat. She was reading, totally absorbed in her book. He reached out –

"Your hair looks stupid." He gave it a sharp tug.

Hinata gave a cry of pain, dropping her book, automatically jerking her head away from Sasuke's hands and grasping the back of her head. Kurenai-sensei looked up from her desk, frowning. "What's going on back there?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Sasuke said, back in his seat, as calm as anything.

Hinata, never one for direct confrontation, eventually picked up her book and continued reading, sneaking apprehensive glances at the Uchiha the rest of the day.

Wednesday:

They ended up sitting next to each other during the entire assembly. When Hinata had gotten in line to go up to the bleachers, she had not planned on that. But sure enough, when she sat down, Sasuke was sitting next to her. She inwardly whimpered and tried to pay attention to the presentation, but Sasuke wasn't about to let that happen.

"Hey. Hyuga."

She shrank into herself. "Y-Yes?"

He crossed his arms, once again looking older than his ten years. "Tell your cousin to stop bugging me." He almost looked like he was..._pouting_. "He should mind his own business."

"O-Okay." Hinata was now practically leaning against Chouji, on her other side. Chouji gently but firmly nudged her away, trying not to be rude. However, Chouji had a _bit_ more strength than he realized, and nudged her a _bit_ too far. She ended up falling onto Sasuke a bit, instinctively clutching his shoulders for support. Immediately, she snapped back up, but the damage was done. She cringed as Sasuke turned his eyes to her – and did not turn them away.

She barely heard the Principal's speech on bullying.

Wednesday:

Hinata's mother had taught her not to hurl insults around carelessly.

During Social Studies – "Idiot. The Volga River is in Russia."

During Math – "Don't be stupid."

During Art – "You're so clumsy."

During Science – "You're doing it wrong, loser."

During Language Arts – "How dumb can you be?"

During P.E. – "Stop crying. The ball didn't hit you that hard. You're such a baby..."

Apparently, Sasuke's mother had taught him no such thing.

Thursday:

Hinata was eating her lunch quietly in the courtyard**(1)** when Sasuke walked up to her and snatched her bento. "This is mine now," he declared.

Hinata looked at him, chopsticks half-raised to her mouth, a piece of shiratima**(2)** trapped between them. Sasuke's dark eyes fixed onto it, and Hinata, sensing danger, withdrew it, but he was quicker. He grabbed it as well, with all the dexterity of a pro, and said uncaringly, "This is mine, too."

Hinata's wide opal eyes were even wider now, and shiny with tears. Her bottom lip was trembling slightly, and she looked so confused and hurt that for a moment, Sasuke felt like giving her her dessert back. But he shook it off, and walked away, popping the sweet dumpling into his mouth as he went.

He didn't even really like shiratima.

Friday:

He was unstoppable.

Sasuke had, in his hands, the diary of Hyuga Hinata.

Stupid her, for bringing it to school. She _knew_ it was a bad idea. Something was bound to go wrong – after all, the universe really did seem to hate her. Her diary had probably stolen itself, and just landed in Sasuke's lap.

She spent a good half-hour attempting to get it away from him, after which he just rolled his eyes and relocated to the white metal bar at the top of the soccer goal on the field so that he could read in peace.

She did not (could not) attempt to follow him, but sat under the tree on the other side of the playground, feeling embarrassed and uneasy. What if he told everyone all of her secrets...? Hinata had only brought it to school because she feared her younger sister might get into it, and tease her relentlessly, at home. Now she was in a much worse predicament; _Sasuke_ had it, and it was perhaps ten times more dangerous in his possession.

However, to her surprise, when the bell rang, Sasuke was there with her diary, a little scowl marring his features. "I hated it," he commented as he passed her. He tossed it backwards, over his shoulder, and Hinata caught it after a fumbling for a second, almost dropping it.

She opened it, curious. She flipped through it for a moment, before coming across a section that looked maybe tampered with. It was her diary entry about the time she made Naruto his own bento for a field trip, and he hugged her and praised her cooking for about ten minutes straight. She had been so happy that day...Naruto truly was kind and sweet, if a little mischievous.

But more to her surprise, Sasuke had written a little note in the margin, in his exceptional handwriting.

_The dobe is stupid. He doesn't deserve your bento._

And this left Hinata completely, utterly, foreshadowing-ly confused.

{0-o-0-o-0}

**(1) – Yes. They are so cool, they eat outside in a courtyard. Why? Because they can. So there.**

**(2) – Also known as azuki shiratima, or shiratima dango. Dumplings made with glutinous rice flour. Chilled, they are served with red-bean paste, which the Japanese seemingly eat with every dessert, ever.**

{0-o-0-o-0}

**Me:** Heh. Sasuke, you don't know how to deal with a crush.

I rather like this story. I think I will continue.

Yes, our favorite Uchiha is showing signs of being sort of a jerk – but that's the plan, right? Bullying will definitely attract girls! You always were a smart one, Sasuke.

No further comments, other than the fact that I've had to give up coconut desserts/foods/snacks/anything, so I'm going through withdrawal symptoms and therefore might not make much sense. Bear with me.

That review button sure is pretty, huh? All blue-ish...with that little speech-bubble...Boy, just think about clicking it and reviewing...I bet the author would be eternally grateful and grant you pretty much whatever you wanted to happen with her stories.

Well? What are you waiting for? Click it!

...please...?


	3. Being Nice

**Me: **I truly love this story. It just writes itself sometimes. Hm...I got a really nice PM asking me to write another chapter of In The End. Should I? 'Preciate yer input!

Enjoy, my friends!

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***(still) Age Ten***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

_- Uchiha Residence, 8:30 -_

"H-Happy birthday, U-Uchiha-san..."

It felt like his eye was twitching.

"Sasuke, you have to introduce me to your little friend." Itachi grinned down at the now blushing Hinata.

Yup, definitely twitching.

"Go away, Itachi," he grumbled. Itachi raised an eyebrow. "It's my birthday party, Sasuke," he reminded him. "I can't just leave." Sasuke crossed his arms sourly. So what? Itachi should be elsewhere. As in, not here. As in, not talking to Hinata.

Itachi apparently had different thoughts, because he simply turned to Hinata and struck up a conversation. "So, how old are you?" he questioned smoothly, leaning back against the refreshments table. Hinata poked her index fingers together, looking particularly adorable, and answered, "T-Ten..."

Itachi nodded. "And when was your birthday?"

Hinata gave him a small smile. "In December." She bit her lip for a second, before adding, "B-But I like June better...it's prettier."

Itachi chuckled and glanced at Sasuke. "She's cute," he said, and Sasuke mentally face-palmed. Only mentally – on the outside, he just huffed and looked away.

Hinata flushed red, and attempted to stammer out a thank you, which Itachi again laughed at, amused by her behavior. Normally, Hinata would be fainting from the attention she was receiving from a male...and an older male, no less. This, Sasuke knew for a fact. Boys intimidated her.

But...something was different. Hinata was not fainting. Or running away. Or even blushing anymore (much). She was standing up straight, and looking straight at Itachi, and gazing at him with wonder and admiration in her eyes, a look usually reserved for Naruto.

Sasuke's arms uncrossed, and he watched with interest. How was this possible? How was his brother getting her to smile at him? She should be smiling at Sasuke! _Only_ Sasuke!

"Have you ever had any pets?"

"Ano...we have some k-koi fish, but I always w-wanted a dog."

"Hm. I'm more of a cat person, but dogs are fun, too."

"M-My friend Kiba has a really cute puppy...his name is A-Akamaru."

"I've got a friend named Kakashi who has about eight dogs."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. He's a lonely guy."

Hinata _laughed._ She laughed. At Itachi. With Itachi. How dare his brother steal his girl!

Well...Hinata was technically not his girl. But she was going to be. Sasuke was sure of it. However, he now had yet another obstacle – his own brother.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

The party was over, and Itachi was saying goodbye to his last remaining guests. He bade them good night, and when they were all more or less out of sight, he closed the door and sighed.

That was when his little brother lunged at him and started swinging wild punches. Itachi sidestepped, bemused, figuring it was best to just let Sasuke do...whatever it was he was doing.

After a few minutes, however, it was getting a bit annoying.

"...hey, Sasuke?"

"Shut up! I'm attacking you!"

"...any particular reason?"

Sasuke, finally having accepted the fact that his attacks were not having much effect, stopped, glaring. "Stay away from Hinata."

Itachi just stared. Oh...so his little brother was jealous. Apparently, he rather liked the Hyuga girl. Interesting...Itachi cleared his throat, and spoke as calmly as he could to the younger boy. "Sasuke...I'm not interested in Hinata."

Sasuke was still glaring suspiciously.

Itachi chuckled. "I'm not into jailbait."

"...what?"

"Never mind. Do you like this girl?"

Sasuke relaxed out of his fighting stance and scowled, looking away. "Maybe."

Itachi sighed. This was really a talk for his father...but whatever. Itachi could sub for a night.

"Sasuke, going around punching people for talking to her is probably not the best way to win her over."

Sasuke's scowl had been demoted to a frown. "Then..." he paused. "How do I get her to like me back?"

Good god, his little brother was a normal ten-year-old kid. The thought was a little jarring, but as with most things, Itachi attempted to take it in stride. "Well, what have you tried so far?"

"...I pulled her hair."

"Right. See, that's not really what girls like. Girls like nice guys."

"Hidan said girls like jerks."

"Yeah – this is the last time I'm leaving you and Hidan alone in a room together."

"Deidara said girls like bad boys."

"Okay, no Deidara, either."

"Tobi said – "

"I really don't want to know what Tobi said. Let's just assume that you are not allowed to listen to and/or believe anything my friends say. Got it?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

Itachi sighed. He had his work cut out for him. "Alright, Sasuke, repeat after me: girls like nice guys."

Sasuke shot him an annoyed glance. "No."

"Oh, so you'll repeat whatever Hidan and Deidara tell you, but not what I say?"

"Well, you're different – you're a loser."

This was going to be a very, very long night.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

The next year, on the first day of 6th grade, Hinata was very surprised when Sasuke, walking beside her in the hallway, offered to carry her books. Surprised, she absentmindedly agreed, and he carried them to her first hour.

And second hour.

And third.

And fourth, and fifth, and sixth, and for days after that, until she finally told him, blushing, that while she appreciated it, she shouldn't make him carry them around. Instead of arguing, or insisting that he carry her books for the rest of their school life, he simply shrugged and handed them off to her.

Many times that year, he would offer to do something for her, or help her, and she would have to re-evaluate her opinion of him.

When he wanted to be, Sasuke was quite...nice.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**Me:** Mwahahaha. I love writing Sasuke/Itachi interactions.

This is probably one of my favorite chapters...just 'cuz I like Itachi so much. He really is a versatile character to write when you leave their parents alive...you could write him stoic and cold, like Masashi originally portrayed him, or you could write him as a carefree, funny, pain-in-the-ass-to-Sasuke guy.

I personally like writing somewhere in between the two.

Please leave some reviews! You know I lurv them. And in case you didn't know, I hired Itachi to tell you.

**Itachi: **I'd listen to her if I was you. She gets quite violent when she doesn't get her fix.

**Me: **_Itachi!_

**Itachi:** ...of reviews.


	4. Ignoring

**Me: **Yay! Sasuke, you're not an asshole! Much.

But you will be...oh, you will be. The teenage years are the toughest, I hear. *hint, hint*

Enjoy!

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Age 11***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Being nice had certainly gotten him in Hinata's good graces.

Nowadays, she would smile at him in the hallways (but not quite a confident smile – evidently, she remembered the year he had bullied her). When he sought her out for something, she no longer cowered at the mere sight of him. And once, on his birthday, she had even made him his very own bento.

Which did not include any shiratima.

Nonetheless, they were not friends. They were...acquaintances. On friendly terms – but not on a first-name basis. They exchanged greetings – but they did not chat. They worked well when paired together for projects (just like in fourth grade) – but they did not purposefully seek each other out for such projects.

Sasuke would have, but jeez, he had a little more self-respect than _that_.

He wanted her to come to _him _first. Engage him in conversation. Sit with him at lunch. Do whatever it was that opposite-gender friends did. However, Hinata seemed content with being just as they were. After all, she had no want for male friends; Kiba, Shino, and occasionally Neji took care of that. She had plenty of other friends, too, and she seemed to think that Sasuke wanted to be "just acquaintances" as well.

And that was just unacceptable.

So, banking on the knowledge he had gleaned from TV, older guys, and his own genius mind, he had decided to ignore her.

Yes – flat out ignore the existence of Hyuga Hinata, because he had a major crush on her, and it always worked in the movies.

In the first three months of ignoring that fact that she existed, Hinata would sometimes glance at him in curiosity, which he took as a sure sign that progress was being made. Surely she missed his presence; how could she not? However, after that, her interest waned, and she seemed to accept the fact that he would not talk to/look at/place himself within a 5-foot radius of her. Thus, Sasuke realized that his plan was slightly flawed. He was not integrated enough into her life for her to actually care that he was not currently a part of it. So the next three months were spent making himself indispensible not to her, but to her closest friends.

He joined the soccer team, which Kiba was on, and the dog-boy warmed up to him immediately. He sat next to Shino in the classes they shared together, and although it was incredibly hard to tell what Shino was thinking, feeling, or, if he was even alive in the first place, breathing, Sasuke was smart enough to know that Shino did not hate his guts, either. And, most unbelievable of all, for the first time since...ever, he willingly let Sakura and Ino cling to him. The first time they pounced on him and he did not immediately shake him off, they sprang back by themselves, staring at him, and then each other, like he had grown a second head. After that, though, they seemed to realize that he was not going to punch them in the stomach whenever they touched him, so these days they were all smiles and grabby hands whenever he walked by.

For the love of god, he even went out of his way to not provoke Hyuga Neji.

For all his trouble, he knew it was a genius plan. By making himself known to her friends, he would make himself known to Hinata. Kiba and Shino weren't big on gossip, but he knew that Sakura and Ino couldn't keep their mouths shut for a period of longer than 5 minutes, so eventually they would start gushing to her about their 'Sasuke-kun'.

That was when her glances started up again, and Sasuke allowed himself to _occasionally, briefly_ nod at Hinata if they happened to pass in the halls. And she would nod back, or smile, or something, and Kami, she was really pretty when she smiled.

And slowly, very, _very_ slowly, he made himself a part of her world. Not the biggest part. Or the second-biggest. Hell, he didn't even make it onto the top ten. But still, it was enough, because Hinata knew who he was, and that was good enough for him.

Until next year, that is.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**Me: **Can't wait until they're twelve. Hehehe...

A little short, but hey. I'm the author. I call the shots, chicos.

You like? Seriously, Sasuke is a little Einstein. An Einstein with a huge crush on a girl who does not particularly like or dislike him, but an Einstein nonetheless.

Kiba shall play a bigger role in the next chapter...I swear it. Come to think of it, I never write Kiba for more than a few paragraphs. But that will all change once they hit...AGE TWELVE!

On that climactic note, I beg of you – review!

**Akamaru: **Woof! Woof woof woof woof, woof woof! ...ruff.

**Me:** Me too, Akamaru. How they got that much pudding into the closet is a mystery to me. Now, speak, boy!

**Akamaru:** ...review. :3


	5. Showing Off

**Me:** La-di-da-di-da. This took me a long time, for some reason. For all you non-soccer fans out there, I tried to make it short, truly.

Please enjoy!

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Age 12***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Kiba was a soccer stud.

There, he'd said it. Kiba was good at soccer. Kiba was _great_ at soccer. Kiba was _**the best **_at soccer.

And Sasuke generally made it a rule not to participate in activities that other people were better at than him.

The things he did for Hinata Hyuga...

"Hey, man, good game." Kiba grinned, then took a large swig from his water bottle. Sasuke somehow managed not to look like he needed hydration desperately as he took a sip of his own water. "Thanks," he muttered coolly. "You, too."

They'd won. Of course they'd won; they had Kiba, and they had Sasuke (who was a boss at everything he did). However, Kiba seemed to have been made for soccer – he scored so easily, it was laughable. They'd offered to place him in the 13-14 year-olds' group, but he turned them down, saying that this was the team he'd played with for years, and he wasn't about to quit so he could play with the big boys.

That was when Sasuke slyly remarked that he was as loyal as a dog.

Kiba, of course, laughed it off, because it wasn't an insult, not really. Sasuke and Kiba were like a team all their own; when Sasuke popped it in front of the goal, Kiba was there to follow through. When Kiba was overcome by midfielders, Sasuke would slide in and take the ball. They had each other's backs, so insults were unnecessary and not worth his time.

Plus, Kiba _was_ his way to get to Hinata.

And he proved his worth that very day.

"So Sasuke," Kiba said, as they were leaving the field, "you're a guy."

"...yes."

Kiba laughed. "No, I mean, you're a ladies' man. You must know what girls like."

No, he didn't, but whatever. "What's your point?"

Kiba gave his soccer ball a nudge, sending it a few feet in front of him, before he caught up to it and kicked it again. "Hinata's birthday is in a week, and I wanna get her something really special. She's coming to the game on Saturday, so I'm gonna give it to her there."

In all honesty, Sasuke's interest in Kiba had just nearly quadrupled by the end of the first sentence. See, he knew his plan would pay off eventually. "And you want advice on what to give her?"

Kiba grinned. "That'd be helpful, yeah."

Sasuke found himself once again looking to his older brother for support. WWID, meaning What Would Itachi Do, had become his go-to phrase for matters concerning Hinata. (Alright, alright, so his brother wasn't _completely_ useless. Big deal.) And a little tidbit of information Itachi had imparted him with suddenly appeared in his mind. "Girls like jewelry. But don't get her some stupid diamond necklace she'll never wear; get her a charm bracelet. It'll mean more."

The tanned boy was now staring at him with wide, reverent eyes. "Sasuke, you are a god."

Sasuke allowed himself to bask in the awe, and smirked. _I know._ "That's what they tell me."

Kiba, spotting his mother in the parking lot, waved at her, before turning to Sasuke once again. "Hey, thanks, man," he said, punching Sasuke's shoulder affectionately. Sasuke, much less affectionately, knocked him upside the head. "Later."

Kiba shot him a half glare, half smile, then ran off to Mrs. Inuzuka to brag about their game.

Sasuke, who saw his own mother just pulling in to the parking lot, smirked once again. _Saturday, eh?_

He closed his eyes, once again reveling in the fact that he was a genius, talented, amazing, cocky bastard. _Hinata Hyuga, get ready to be blown away._

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

It was the perfect day...for an indoor soccer game. It was freezing outside, but inside it was quite warm, and the stands were packed.

"Okay, team," barked Asuma, their coach. "These Suna kids are rough. And when I say rough, I mean that they will crush you. They will trip you, slide-tackle you, and if it comes to it, they will break your tibias. And they know just how to do that, too." He surveyed the group of twelve and thirteen year-old boys in front of him with harsh eyes. "Do not hesitate. Do not show any mercy. I want a fair game – but I also want you to beat them into the ground. Got that?"

A cheer rose up from the group, and Asuma smiled. "Alright, let's kick some ass." He pumped his fist.

They ran out onto the field, taking their positions. Sasuke was left forward, as he usually was in important games. Sure, Asuma let everyone try out every position at some point – just not in the championship.

He was facing some kid with stupid green hair. The boy smirked cockily at him, and Sasuke just looked away. This poser was not worthy of his glares.

The whistle blew, and they were off.

About 45 minutes into the game, they were tired, thirsty, and several breakage attempts had been made on their legs. And it was true; the Suna team really did look like they had been trained to step on your calf in such a way that it just snapped in half.

Sasuke was tired as well, but he forced himself to keep going. He had a girl to impress.

Slowly but surely, they gained the upper hand, with Sasuke and Kiba as the front-runners in goal-scoring. The Suna kids were sneering, and getting more aggressive, but it was clear who was going to win this game.

That is, until the Suna coach subbed a player out.

It was the green-haired boy, and he huffed in irritation when his coach beckoned him to the sidelines, but he went along without much fuss.

The turban-clad**(1)** coach sent another kid out in his place. He was slightly shorter than the majority of the other players, and much paler; almost as pale as Sasuke himself. Unmiss-able was his bright red hair – the color of blood. As he got closer, Sasuke could make out his features better. Dull tea-green eyes, rimmed in black so thick it looked like he hadn't slept a day in his life. Frankly, the kid looked tired, and weak.

Then he turned his eyes to Sasuke.

Holy crap, this kid's whole face promised absolute _death._ He regarded Sasuke with those lifeless eyes, a sort of detachment that was disturbing on the face of a twelve-year-old boy. He took his teammate's place as left forward, and the referee blew the whistle.

All hell broke loose.

This kid, with his red hair and raccoon eyes, had a way of moving while not looking like he was moving. When the ball came near him, he would stand still for a second – then he would shoot out and steal it, running for the opposite goal. He was speedy, that was for sure; most of Sasuke's teammates were left in the dust. Sasuke kept up with him surprisingly well, though, considering that this kid had been playing for about ten minutes, and Sasuke for almost an hour. And the guy could score. He could drill it in the goal like a pro, and their goalie was powerless to stop it.

After the kid had scored his third consecutive goal, Sasuke and Kiba glanced at each other, and silently agreed on Plan J.

Plan J was risky, but at this point, they didn't have much to lose. Time was running out, and they were down by one.

So when they all jogged into place after another easy goal, and the referee blew the whistle, Sasuke used his last dregs of strength to dodge between opposing players, steal the ball, and run towards the Suna goal. Out of nowhere, the redhead was suddenly running alongside him, staring him down with those dead eyes. Sasuke barely spared him a glance before speeding up, towards the goal, towards a possible victory.

And suddenly, he was on his side, on the ground, watching as his green-eyed assailant escaped with the soccer ball. With a snarl, he got up, and was about to follow him, before Kiba, who was at the other end of the field, signaled for him to stay. Sasuke, begrudgingly trusting Kiba's amazing soccer skills, did so, and watched.

It was Red against Kiba, and they gave each other fierce glares as the Suna boy approached the goal. With a growl, Kiba advanced, and with some fancy footwork that was indicative of hours of dedication, the Inuzuka maneuvered the ball way. He sprinted up the field, taking the ball with him, with the redhead hot on his tail. Kiba passed it to Sasuke, who slid past the defenders and was rejoined by Kiba in their run up to the goal. He passed it to Kiba, just as the homicidal-looking boy caught up to them.

Sasuke jumped in front of the goal, just as Kiba kicked it past the Suna kid –

And felt the thunk of the ball against his forehead, as he headed it straight into the goal.

It had barely made it past Suna's goalie before everyone was cheering. The stands were roaring, and Sasuke was swarmed by his teammates. They didn't touch him (c'mon, they weren't _that_ stupid), but they were all shouting words of congratulations and praise, which Sasuke accepted with grace (and a giant smirk).

He looked up in the stands, and sure enough, in her signature cream-colored jacket, clapping and cheering happily, was Hinata. He sort of wanted to shout something arrogant and flirty, but 1, he wasn't quite sure that the other girls in the stands wouldn't think he meant them, and 2, while Hinata might blush prettily and be cutely flustered, she would probably also faint.

So he decided to say it later.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Half an hour later, while Sasuke and Kiba were waiting for their parents to pick them up, Hinata came up to them and quietly congratulated them on the game. Kiba, grinning hugely, pulled her into a bear hug, causing Sasuke to sort of hate him at that moment. She gasped, and wiggled out of it, blushing, while Kiba laughed. "You're too cute," he informed her, and she blushed an even deeper shade of pink, although she was smiling shyly now, as if she was aware that it was entirely platonic, but couldn't help feeling embarrassed.

Kiba fished around in his coat pocket for a minute, before producing a silver charm bracelet, and presenting it to Hinata with a smile. Hinata blinked at him, at a loss for words, and took it gingerly, slipping it onto her wrist like it was some sort of priceless artifact that she had been given the honor of wearing for a day. "Thank you," she whispered, awestruck. Kiba scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "If you don't want it, I can always get you another, or..." He trailed off as Hinata slid her arms around his waist in a hug. "It's p-perfect," she said.

Yeah, Sasuke was definitely hating on Kiba right about now.

Said soccer star blushed slightly, and awkwardly patted the top of Hinata's head. "You're welcome," he finally said, having regained his ability to speak.

Hinata stepped back, and gave him a blindingly happy smile. Kiba reciprocated it, and then jumped as a horn honked. "My mom's here," he explained to Hinata, somewhat apologetically. Hinata nodded. "Bye," she said sweetly.

Kiba stared at her for a second, before shaking himself out of it and walking to his car, waving back at them as he went.

Which left Hinata and Sasuke alone together. She turned to him, eyes downcast. "You were g-great," she said sincerely, twisting her gloved fingers. Sasuke nodded. "Thanks," he said. After a pause he added, in a somewhat softer voice, "Happy birthday."

Hinata looked up. "E-Eh?"

Sasuke inclined his head at her. "Kiba said it was your birthday next week."

Hinata looked utterly confused. "M-My birthday isn't for another t-two months," she said. "I-It's in December..."

Sasuke just sort of stood there. He'd known that – he'd been there when she told Itachi when her birthday was. And it had not registered in his mind that even though it was October, Kiba was giving her a birthday present.

He crossed his arms, suddenly not liking Kiba so much anymore. "What's the bracelet for, then?" He asked, getting a bad feeling about this.

Hinata blushed, and ducked her head. "K-Kiba-kun accidentally got into a f-fight with Neji-niisan a few days ago, and I hate it w-when they fight. He s-said he'd make it up to me..." she murmured, fingering the little charms. "I d-didn't think he mean he'd g-give me jewelry." She glanced up at Sasuke, shyly, as if afraid of invoking his wrath.

Oh, _some_one was going to get a taste of his wrath, all right.

"Never mind, then," he said tersely, and Hinata winced. "A-Are you...okay, Uchiha-san?"

"I'm fine."

Hinata nodded slowly, then, evidently spying her car, bade him goodbye quickly and scurried off once again.

Sasuke watched her, as she met her father, who was just climbing out of the driver's side. He saw her show him the bracelet, smiling shyly, and Sasuke huffed, looking away. So the Inuzuka thought he could get one over on him, and give Hinata a symbolically romantic gift for practically no reason at all? No matter that he had help pick it out - Kiba was going _down_. Him, and his stupid charm bracelets.

"Show-off," he muttered to himself.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**(1**) – Yes, it was Baki. He wears a turban. Cuz he's cool.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**Me:** Eh. Could've been worse.

I envisioned it going differently, but this is how it turned out, and I rarely revise big plot points in my chapters once they're all written out. So here you go.

Oh, stop complaining. If it's good enough for Angelica, it's good enough for you. Although she admittedly has questionably morals...

Please tell me what you think of Kiba – trust me, he's not going to be an awkward pre-teen forever...I have big plans for him.

And tell me what you thought about Sasuke in this chapter. I definitely want my writing to be consistent, if nothing else. If you have constructive criticism, please share!

Oh, and Gaara will be making more appearances in future chapters. You know what, _everyone_ will be making appearances in future chapters, so be prepared. Especially for Naruto. Hehe...

Take it away, Lee!

**Rock Lee:** Take heed, my youthful friends! The time of my youthful springtime requests is upon you! In honor of Monster-chan's youthfulness, you should all leave reviews!

**Me:** Thanks, Lee.

**Rock Lee:** _Youthful_ reviews!

**Me:** ...yes. Um, you heard him. Review, onegai!


	6. Teachings

**Chapter 6: Teachings**

**A.K.A. Sasuke Receives Love Lessons from the Akatsuki**

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Age 13***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

It was common knowledge that people loved Itachi.

He was cordial, intelligent, practical, sophisticated, mysterious, and better than everyone else, ever.

Yep, people loved Itachi. Women, men, parents, children, the police...cats...

Deidara was not one of those people.

So it came as something of a surprise when Sasuke came home one day to find Deidara sitting with Itachi at their kitchen table, facedown on the table, like he had just learned that his puppy had been run over.

Sasuke paused a minute in the doorway, backpack still slung over one shoulder, taking in this odd sight. Itachi was simply sitting there, sipping coffee. Sasuke turned to his older brother. "What's with him?" he asked.

Itachi glanced at the blonde man. "His girlfriend broke up with him."

At this, Deidara's head popped up, and he wailed, "Why? Why did she leave me, un?" He slammed his face back down on the table.

There was silence for a moment, while Sasuke stood, Deidara brooded, and Itachi sipped his coffee again. "There are other girls in the world," Itachi said.

Deidara looked up again, and glared at the Uchiha. "No, there aren't!" He hissed. "Not like her." He upturned his hands in a 'why, god?' position. "She was...so..._hot!_" With that last word, he slumped over again, this time onto Itachi, who, with a mildly annoyed glance, shoved him off. "She was three years younger," he reminded the art-lover.

Deidara, straightening up after almost having fallen to the floor, crossed his arms and pouted. "_Exactly._"

Sasuke's lip curled. Deidara was sixteen. He was dating a girl as old as Sasuke. Pervert...

Which still didn't explain why Deidara was here, when he did not particularly like *cough_hated_cough* Itachi. "Don't you have a somewhere else you could be sniveling right about now?" Sasuke asked, contempt obvious in his voice.

It was Itachi who answered. "No. His mom would beat him over the head with a wooden spoon if she found out he was dating thirteen-year-olds. Hidan kicked him out, said that he wasn't going to have some snotty crybaby in his house, especially over a girl. Kisame refused to let him in, you know how he feels about jailbait. Sasori just sort of slammed the door in his face."

Sasuke muttered under his breath, "I don't blame him."

Deidara shot him a glare. "Hey, watch it, _Sasu-chan_. I heard you're whipped, too."

Sasuke looked at him for a moment, then very slowly turned to his older brother. "I am going to kill you." He said, in a very eerie voice.

Itachi at least had the decency to raise an eyebrow. "Calm down. I didn't tell him. His girlfriend did."

Sasuke whipped around to face Deidara again. "Who was your girlfriend?" He demanded.

Deidara rested his elbow on his table, cupping his chin, with a dreamy look in his visible blue eye. "Ino Yamanaka," he said wistfully.

Sasuke took a moment to process that, and then shuddered. "_Ino?_ You dated _Ino?_" He snorted. "I hope you liked going out with my #2 fangirl, Deidara. She's freaking insane."

Deidara pointed at him, glaring balefully. "Don't talk about her like that!"

Itachi sighed, and set down his coffee. "Alright, enough, girls. Sasuke, go to your room. I'm going to knock some sense into Deidara." He stood.

Sasuke shrugged. "Nice knowing you," he said to the blonde in passing, as he turned towards the staircase.

Deidara panicked as the older boy closed in on him. "Wait, hey, Sasuke! No! Help!_ Nooooooo_!"

Sasuke, alone in his room, smirked.

Lesson #1: Don't date girls younger than you.

(Lession #1 ½: Don't date blondes.)

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Itachi had a lot of friends. People liked him, so that was a no-brainer – but his friends were _weird._

Take Kisame, for instance.

Itachi and the shark-man were playing video games when Sasuke got home. Without looking away from the screen, Kisame greeted Sasuke. "Yo. Mini-Itachi."

Sasuke flipped him the finger behind his back, which unfortunately, the all-seeing Itachi caught. "Sasuke, that's rude," he commented, sending his brother a warning glance. Sasuke rolled his eyes and stalked off towards the kitchen, opening the refrigerator and retrieving an apple.

Walking back to the living room, he plopped down on the couch beside Itachi. They were playing Call Of Duty: MW3**(1)**. Sasuke put his feet up on the coffee table. "_Killstreak_?" he questioned. Kisame shook his head. "_Pointstreak. _But hey, I'm impressed you knew that at all."

Sasuke started to scowl, then thought better of it, and settled for a neutral expression. "Shut up," he muttered.

They sat there for a few more minutes, the muted sounds of gunfire coming through the television, before a cell phone rang.

Kisame sighed, paused the game, and pulled out his phone. "Yeah."

An unmistakably female voice came through on the other end, speaking in an exasperated tone. Kisame grimaced, and listened. Sasuke took a bite of his apple, quite uncaring.

The tall blue man occasionally interjected with a "yeah" or "no" or "sure, why not", but other than that, he stayed patiently silent. Sasuke turned to Itachi, with a questioning glance, and Itachi just shrugged, leaning back against the couch.

Finally, the woman on the other end of the call seemed to calm down a bit, and Kisame rubbed his face. "Yeah...no, I'm with Itachi...yes, _that_ Itachi." A pause. "No. Well, he doesn't like blind dates...wait, are you trying to set him up with yourself?" A short burst of angry speech on the other end, and Kisame winced. "No, it just seemed like - ! Hey, I barely know any of your friend's names, how am I supposed to know if Haru is a real person or not? Maybe you were just trying to get a date with Itachi, yeah?"

More exasperated talking, and Kisame flopped back against the couch. "Fine," he muttered. "I know, I know." Another pause, and then he..._blushed_. "Yeah, yeah, I love you too," he muttered, throwing a quick glare at Itachi, who impassively glanced back at him.

Kisame ended the call, and sighed. "Kami." He said, sounding tired.

He turned to Sasuke, who had finished off about half the apple by now. "Hey. Kid." He addressed him. Sasuke turned his eyes on the shark-man. "What." He deadpanned.

"Promise me you'll never get involved with a rich girl." He grunted, and Sasuke took another bite of his apple. "Whatever."

Lesson #2: Don't date heiresses.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Hidan liked to swear.

Because of this, the silver-haired Jashinist was rarely invited to the Uchiha house, as Mikoto disapproved of him, and Itachi just plain disliked him. Or, disliked the influence he had on young Sasuke. As a child, Sasuke had clung to Hidan's every word, and Hidan had puffed out his chest and acted like a man, happy to impress even five-year-old kids.

Itachi just rolled his eyes and left Hidan to his own devices.

"Hey, Squirt," Hidan grinned, lounging on the Uchiha's couch. Sasuke gave him a small smirk in return. "Old man," he returned. Hidan frowned. "Hey, I'm still young! Young enough to beat up your brother." His frown turned into a grin.

Itachi, who was reading a book nearby, snorted.

Sasuke decided that Hidan was still pretty cool, and since he had a new girlfriend every week, could probably help him with his own girl problems. "Hey, Hidan," he said, plopping down in a chair. Hidan grunted noncommittally. The younger Uchiha frowned contemplatively. "I like this girl."

Hidan glanced at him, the beginnings of a smirk appearing on his face. "Say no more. You wanna bang her?"

Sasuke blinked, and Itachi looked up from his book. "Hidan, you're only here because I can tolerate you for longer than most, and you've been good this week. Don't screw it up."

Hidan waved him away. "Yeah, yeah." He turned to Sasuke again. "Alright, so you're thirteen; maybe you don't want to get her into bed (yet) but I bet you do at least wanna get her to date you, huh?"

Sasuke nodded.

Hidan smirked. " 'S what I thought." He leaned forward, settling his elbows on his knees. "So here's the deal. Girls like jerks, but you knew that – or, rather, I told you that." Sasuke nodded once again. "Girls also like religious guys. You know? Makes 'em feel like we've got morals or some shit like that."

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, but nodded again.

"Girls like guys with motorcycles. So, whenever you happen to get your license, get a motorcycle license, too." He paused, and shrugged. "And a motorcycle, if you can manage it."

Nod.

"Girls like badasses. Which sort of ties in with the whole 'jerk' thing, but they're different. You understand?"

"Uh-huh."

"Good. Main difference: A badass breaks rules. A jerk treats people like crap. You can be both, but not at the same time, because then she'll leave you. The way I keep the girls coming back is being a badass 80% of the time, a jerk 10% of the time, and a semi-almost-begrudgingly nice guy the other 10%."

"Makes sense."

"Yes it does; you're smart, there's hope for you yet. But my number one rule? Never, ever, ever let her know you're jealous. Never. Ever. Okay?"

"Sure thing...grandpa."

"Aw, shut up, you little bastard."

Lesson #3: Never let the girl you like know that you are jealous.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

As much as Sasuke respected Itachi's friends (very little), and as much as he loved taking advice from people older than him (not at all), Sasuke did not listen to them. In fact, it could be said that he did the exact opposite.

Lesson #1: Ignored. Hinata was younger than him, by five months, and he did not give a crap.

Lesson #2: Ignored. Hinata was definitely an heiress. Not only was she an heiress, she was an heiress with a whole lot of money. Sasuke saw this as only a perk.

Lesson #3: Ignored. While he respected Hidan for his badassness, Sasuke could not quite help disregarding this one.

After all, he, Uchiha Sasuke, was very, very jealous.

And it would only get a whole lot worse next year.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**Me:** There! Done! Over with! Tell me what you guys think! Should I write more Akatsuki love advice! Should Neji make an appearance in the next chapter! Nyeh!

Also, it has come to my attention that Hinata is a wuss. A huge wuss. Someone pointed out to me that in elementary school, Hinata should have at least defended Naruto against Sasuke's insults, or stood up for herself during the bullying, and I happen to think that they are right. I hope to remedy that in later chapters. Beware the wrath of Hinata Hyuga.

REVIEW!


	7. Jealousy, Part I

**Me:** Mahhhhhh...this chapter could've gone way differently. But this is what I came up with. Please like it.

Also, finals are coming up, so don't expect any mind-blowingly intelligent chapters. About 80% of my brain is reserved for math/science. Sorry about that...blame the school system. They're out to get me. It's all a conspiracy to get me to not post chapters.

...right.

Ah, and to Dee:

I understand that bullying is an issue close to your heart, and you don't want it portrayed the wrong way. I completely get it. However, this is my story, and I write from experience. When I was little, I experienced this type of bullying - virtually harmless, and employed just to get attention. My feelings were hurt, but there were no long-term consequences. Eventually, the bully and I matured, and we made peace. I'm very sorry that you experienced a more malicious type of bullying, by boys who were mean just for the sake of being mean. The type of bullying I wanted Sasuke to portray was exactly that old cliche - "a boy only bullies you if he likes you" or "he's just teasing you because he wants your attention", and the type that I went through. I'm sorry if it came across any other way, and if you have any suggestions on how you think it should have gone, tell me. Also, about the lengthy reviews; I don't mind. The fact that you obviously put a lot of time and effort into reviewing my story is a source of pride for me, not annoyance. Please continue to review - not only do I love it when people praise my story, I love it when people tell me how I can make it better. :)

And with that, here you go!

**Songs: Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics; Battle Without Honor Or Humanity – Tomoyasu Hotei; Gotta Serve Somebody – Bob Dylan**

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Age 14***

****{0-o-0-o-0}****

Hinata was sincerely happy to be leaving middle school.

Yes, she had friends in junior high, and yes, she got along with most people, but it was not pleasant to be in the middle of Sakura and Ino's many boy-fueled fights, or Kiba and Shino's ever-increasing arguments about _whatever_, or her cousin Neji's general distaste for everyone in the world, especially her friends.

(Tenten wasn't as hated by the Hyuga male, but Tenten and Hinata didn't hang out much anyway, so did she really count?)

And Sasuke was not making any sense these days. In elementary school, he had been completely indifferent towards her – until the 5th grade, when he began to torment her. Then, he was nice again. Then, he became friends with Kiba-kun, and Hinata saw him more often. Then, they entered high school – and Sasuke left her alone.

Why on earth...?

In any case, Hinata was looking forward to high school. High school meant new freedom, new opportunities, a chance to meet new people, and a chance to escape _a few select classmates_ for a while (even days on end, if they didn't have any classes together).

High school would definitely be better.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"Hinata, stick close. You're going to get crushed if you wander off."

Hinata winced. Not exactly what she wanted to hear right now.

They were at registration. Neji was a sophomore, so he knew how to navigate the school. Plus, people tended to move out of the way for him, like he was some kind of god.

Hinata was not entirely convinced he wasn't.

So she made sure to "stick close". She backed up a bit, making sure she was as near to Neji as possible, and observed everything and everyone from a safer distance. It seemed that most people they passed either glanced at Neji, did a double-take, and got out of his way, or, in the case of the upperclassmen, ignored him or semi-acknowledged him with a brief nod.

Hinata, however, they all stared at incredulously, like they couldn't believe she was related to the Hyuga prodigy. Hinata attempted to smile at each of them, and they sort-of smiled back, giving her one last weird look before continuing on their way.

Just as Hinata was beginning to lose faith, and flash of blonde and pink assaulted her, and ripped her from Neji's side. "Hinataaaaa!" the colorful mess shrieked in two distinct voices. Backing up a bit, Hinata could now distinguish them as Sakura and Ino, her best female friends. She smiled at them, genuinely relieved to see familiar faces. They immediately crowded her, commenting enthusiastically on her new haircut (she'd grown it longer) her new clothes (she'd stopped wearing them quite so bulky) and her new body (which had, over the summer, lead to much blushing and many shopping trips).

"Hinata, you look hot!" Ino exclaimed, grinning mischievously. Sakura sighed wistfully. "Ugh – I wish I had your body," she lamented. "I barely grew at all!"

Which was only half-true. While Sakura had made little progress in the chest department, she had certainly grown in height, and had a new weight on her hips indicative of maturity.

While Ino turned to Sakura to tease/comfort her about her development, Hinata took this opportunity to compare herself to them. Ino was tallest (only by a bit) and Sakura not far behind, but Hinata was at least an inch shorter than both of them. Ino had started wearing her side bang down, instead of slightly raised, allowing it to cover one eye, and Sakura's own pink locks had recovered from the rather messy cut she had attempted in 7th grade after learning that Sasuke might like short hair. It was now less choppy, and looked more cute than scraggly.

Neji cut into Sakura and Ino's chatter, which had evolved into another half-argument. "I'm going to go find Lee and Tenten. Hinata, meet me in the cafeteria in fifteen minutes."

Hinata nodded, and Neji turned and walked away down the hall. There was silence for a minute, before Ino turned to Hinata and said, "Boy, your cousin sure is hot, huh?"

Hinata gaped. "I-Ino-chan!"

The platinum blonde laughed. "Relax. I'm not interested." She shot another glance at the male Hyuga. "Not _yet_, anyway," she added, lips curving into a flirtatious smile.

Sakura sighed. "Ugh, can you _not_ hit on someone for about five minutes, Pig?"

Ino glared at her. "Psh. You're just jealous." She flipped her hair.

Just as Sakura was starting to retort, Hinata broke in. "L-Let's not fight, okay?" she suggested. Her two friends looked at her, and sighed in unison. "Hinata, you are too adorable for your own good." Ino mourned, and Sakura nodded seriously.

Hinata frowned. "Sh-shut up," she muttered, crossing her arms. Sakura and Ino broke character, and bust out laughing. "You totally just proved my point, Hinata," Ino giggled.

Pouting, Hinata looked away – and locked eyes with a stranger.

Kami...those were perhaps the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, maybe not counting Naruto's. They were an icy green, rimmed in thick black. Swirling and staring and so very deep...

Slowly she focused on the rest of the face. Pale, almost-white skin, shockingly red hair, and the kanji for "love" tattooed on the forehead. It was definitely a boy, and by the looks of it, a freshman, like herself. He was wearing heavy, dark clothing, and his arms were crossed. Despite the fact that he seemed to be shorter than the average fourteen-year-old male, even the tallest seniors avoided bumping into him as he stood, stationary, in the middle of the hallway.

This boy, that Hinata just now realized she'd been staring at for a while, uncrossed his arms and made his way towards them. Hinata sucked in a quick breath, feeling heat rise to her cheeks – but she couldn't look away. She knew she must look stupid, standing there and watching him, and the red-haired boy was probably coming over here to tell her to stop being so creepy, but she couldn't help it.

As he neared her, the background noise of Sakura and Ino's chatter had died down, and Hinata could tell that they were staring at the approaching boy as well. And then he was standing before her, and looking down at her – goodness, he was taller up close – and speaking. "Your face is aesthetically pleasing." He droned. His voice was deep and raspy. Hinata stared, blinked, and eventually said, "T-Thank you." And before she could stop herself, she added, "Yours t-too."

The boy raised an eyebrow – or, if he had had one, he would have – and Hinata flushed again, feeling more stupid than ever.

"Gaara! C'mon, we have to find Student Services!"

The boy turned at the sound of the female voice, and Hinata looked down the hallway to see who the owner was. It was a tall blonde girl, hands on her hips, giving the redhead a pointed look. The redhead – Gaara – nodded at her, then turned back to Hinata. "I hope to see you in my classes," he monotoned. Hinata gave him a weak smile, and he left, walking the direction of the blonde girl.

There was a beat of silence, and then Ino glommed onto Hinata. "OhmygodHinata, he was so hot!" she gushed, pinching the raven-haired girl's cheek. Hinata squealed and batted her hand away, frowning. Sakura, the more practical of the two, looked after Gaara and said, "Do you know him, Hinata?"

Hinata looked down at her feet. "N-No," she admitted. Sakura smiled. "Wow. First day, and you already have an admirer!" she exclaimed. Ino nodded matter-of-factly. "I said it before, and I'll say it again." She poked Hinata's forehead. "She's too adorable for her own good."

Hinata, feeling oddly light and carefree, poked her back. "Nuh-uh!"

Ino smiled, happy that Hinata was, for once, playing along. "Yuh-huh!" She poked her.

"Nuh-_uh!" _Poke.

"Yuh-HUH!" Poke.

Sakura poked both of them at once, and rather hard, too. "Will you two cut it out?" She sighed exasperatedly, but not entirely seriously. "We're freshman now, guys! High-schoolers!"

Hinata silently agreed, and her thought wandered back to the boy named Gaara.

High school was nothing if not...different.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"Hey, u-um, Ino-chan?" Hinata said, focusing on something across the cafeteria.

"Huh."

"There's a b-boy...staring at you. Who is he?"

Ino, having plopped the desired amount of salad onto her lunch tray, looked up, now mildly interested. "What?"

There was indeed a male staring at her. The school lunch lines were separated down the middle, and this boy happened to be in the other line. He was staring forlornly at Ino, looking quite sad and longing.

Ino looked at him for about one second before turning to Hinata, who was behind her in line. "That's Deidara." She informed her. "Junior."

Hinata turned back to the one named Deidara, looking him over more carefully. He was certainly attractive, with long blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail, and his visible eye an intense blue color. In a way, he reminded her of Naruto – except, the coloration of Deidara's features seemed to be the tiniest bit duller.

"Hun?"

Oops! Her turn to pay. Apologizing to the waiting lunch-lady, Hinata swiped her card and hurried after Ino to their chosen table, by the windows (a spot that that Ino had supposedly done "unspeakable things" to get).

Ino sat down with her salad, sighing, and Hinata followed suit, eyeing the green, leafy pile suspiciously. "Ino-chan, you get a s-salad every day. Don't you w-want a little variety?" Hinata asked, concerned. Ino took a bite of the salad and waved her fork at Hinata. "Hey, I 'ave to maintain thish bod for the Freshman Fling!" Ino claimed, her mouth full of lettuce. Hinata sighed. "Y-You'll look great no matter what you e-eat," she says, sincerely. Ino stared at her for a moment, then glommed onto Hinata. "I love you, Hinata. You know that, right?" She squealed. Hinata, embarrassed, nodded. Ino sat back down, giving a sharp nod. "Good," she said, her voice very official-sounding.

Hinata allowed her eyes to wander, and saw that the blonde boy was still staring at them; this time, he was sitting down, looking slightly surprise at Ino's display of affection, but still...staring.

Hinata turned back to her outgoing friend. "Ino, he's s-still staring at you," she murmured, casting another glance at him. "Do you know him?"

Ino looked as well, and then shrugged. "He was my ex-boyfriend."

Hinata looked confused. "I thought you said he was a j-junior...?"

Ino raised an eyebrow at her. "He was," she said, quite passively.

The Hyuga girl groaned. "_Please_ tell me...you did not do things with him over summer break."

Ino looked mildly offended. "Well I think I'd tell my best friends if I did!" She looked over at the other blonde again, and frowned. "Besides, Deidara's not like that. He was sweet. _Sensitive_. The artistic type." She sighed wistfully, looking almost regretful for a moment. "It's too bad...we had amazing chemistry."

Hinata was still confused. "Then...why did you break up?"

Ino turned to her, bright, confident smile back in place. "Hinata, you know my heart belongs to Sasuke." She winked, as if this was a little inside joke between them.

Hinata grimaced slightly. Sasuke. Oh, Sasuke. He was the main reason for Sakura and Ino's spats, and the reason they had not spoken to each other for a whole year in the fifth grade. Luckily, Sasuke, along with Sakura, had a different lunch period. Which they also shared with Naruto.

And as always, just at the thought of Naruto, Hinata's cheeks flushed a bit. He had been hanging around Kiba a lot that summer, so Hinata had gotten to see him. He was sweet...he brought her ice cream once, after they had all gone to the park. She just wished she had the courage to confess...

Not that Naruto, or any boy, would ever think of her that way.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

There wasn't inherently anything interesting about the book.

To be honest, it was rather boring, and Sasuke had to keep referring back to the glossary to find words that no one used anymore and were stupid.

But it was more intriguing than listening to Sakura give them a run-down of her first two weeks.

"...and then I met up with Ino. Did you know she's two centimeters taller than me now? Anyway, we walked around for a while, and..."

Naruto was listening with rapt attention, hanging on her every word. Sasuke turned a page.

"...and then we saw Hinata with her cousin – "

Sasuke's interest was piqued. He did not set down his book, but secretly tuned in to the conversation.

"He's a sophomore, right? So, anyway, after he left, Ino-pig and I got into an argument, and then guess what!"

Naruto obediently said, "What?"

"This cute guy came up and hit on Hinata!" Sakura gushed. "It was so adorable!"

_Rrrrrriiiipppp._

Both Naruto and Sakura looked over at their quiet counterpart. He was staring at nothing in particular, eyes narrowed, and a severely torn book in his hands.

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Umm...Sasuke, isn't that the school's book?"

Sasuke simply looked up at her, ignoring her (in his eyes) inane question. "Who was he?"

Sakura blinked. "Who?"

"The guy."

The pinkette tapped her chin thoughtfully, spring-green eyes rolled up towards the ceiling. "Well, I didn't know him...but, he had red hair...green eyes, I think...and some really thick eyeliner."

Oh no. Oh hell no. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be. But it was! It was...RED!

Sasuke cast aside the remains of the very boring book and stared straight at Sakura, which never failed to capture her full attention. He had to be sure. "Sakura," he started, and she promptly melted into a puddle of goo. "Did this kid have the kanji for 'love' on his forehead?"

Sakura, coming out of her Sasuke-induced daze, looked confused. "Now that you mention it...yeah, he did."

"Did you get his name?"

Sakura tilted her head to one side. "Um...there was a girl there, she called him Gaara."

Gaara. Gaara of Suna. Gaara of Suna, who had complimented _his_ girl.

There would be blood.

"..."

Sakura and Naruto sat in silence for a moment. Then, Naruto, spying something on the ground, picked it up and yelled to Sasuke's retreating back, "Hey, Sasuke! You forgot your book!"

The Uchiha apparently did not hear him, for all he did was exit the cafeteria.

Shrugging, Naruto opened the book, the cover hanging on by a hair, and started reading.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Hinata liked baking.

It was just something she enjoyed doing. She liked baking things - oh, _especially_ if she was making cinnamon rolls! – because it made her big, empty house feel like a home, just for a few minutes, while the smell of freshly made goods wafted through the halls.

So, naturally, as a child, she had forced her friends to try each and every one of her creations. And by "forced", I mean she looked at them pleadingly for as long as it took before they agreed. Needless to say, as a seven-year-old, she had not been the best cook. But, her loving childhood friends, Shino and Kiba, humored her anyway. Thankfully, her cooking improved, and by the time they were in high school, she was making mouth-watering delicacies that they would give their arms (or in Shino's case, sunglasses) for.

And they were still in the habit of coming over and taste-testing them.

"So, whadda we got today?" Kiba said cheerfully, sitting down at the Hyuga's unnecessarily large dining room table. Really, it was like they were expecting the entire town to come to dinner every night.

Hinata smiled, breezing past him as she set down a small plate in front of him, as well as in front of Shino. "Napoleons," she informed them.

Kiba grinned. "I have no idea what those are, but they sound delicious, and I trust you."

Hinata rolled her eyes, although she was smiling bashfully.

Shino, across the table, said, "Thank you for this, Hinata."

Hinata smiled at him as well. "Of course," she said happily. "And thank you for coming to taste them!" Suddenly, she gasped, and practically flew back to the kitchen, leaving "the filling!" as an explanation.

Kiba looked at Shino, and they both shrugged.

A few minutes later, Hinata emerged, carrying a small tray of delicate-looking pastries. In fact, they almost looked like tiny little sandwiches.

Kiba's stomach growled.

She set them down, and with a pair of tongs, carefully placed one in the exact center of Kiba's plate. The Inuzuka licked his lips, and picked it up, raising it to his mouth – only to have his appendage smacked by the tongs. "Ow!" he yelped, dropping the confection back on the plate. Hinata gave him a reproving glance. "Manners, Kiba-kun," she reminded him, and he pouted. She very carefully placed one on Shino's plate, then on her own.

Finally, she sat down, and they all took a bite.

Kiba hummed as soon as it made contact with his tongue. Shino munched quietly, and commented, "This is good, Hinata."

Kiba made another little appreciative sound. "Good? This thing is amazing!"

Hinata blushed, but smiled hopefully at them. "R-Really?"

Kiba's eyes were closed, and he had a look of utmost pleasure on his face. "Oh my god, Hinata, marry me!" he moaned. Hinata froze, mid-bite, and even Shino stopped eating. Kiba, however, was too lost in his food to pay any attention. He reached for another napoleon, and again moaned, savoring the taste. "Oh, this is so good..."

Shino cleared his throat.

Kiba slowly came down from his high, and opened his eyes, blinking at them. "What?"

Hinata flushed red and looked down at her lap, while Shino looked...amused? Kiba frowned at them both. "Seriously, what? Is there something on my face?" He reached up to brush off the imaginary filling.

Shino chuckled. "You just asked Hinata to marry you."

Kiba sat in shock for a moment, before turning to Hinata. "Hey, sorry, 'Nata," he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't embarrass you, did I? It was just...really good..." he trailed off.

Hinata looked up shyly, having recovered somewhat. "It's o-okay, Kiba-kun. You just...s-surprised me."

The wolfish-looking boy grinned. "Well, I _would_ marry you. Three meals like this a day? Plus, you're hotter than hell." He winked.

With the combined effect of the compliment and the mild swear word, Hinata promptly fainted.

Shino and Kiba leaned over and peered down at her. "I think you broke her," said Shino calmly.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Sasuke was a very organized person.

His room was always more or less orderly, he had all of his papers organized, and he got all his assignments in on time.

Overall, Uchiha Sasuke was an orderly person.

And he liked to make lists.

Itachi's Friend-of-the-Day that particular day was Sasori, and he glanced passively at Sasuke when the Uchiha came home, before returning to his work. For this, Sasuke was grateful. "You're not going to give me any love lessons, are you?" he drawled, dropping his backpack on the floor.

Sasori did not look up. "Now why would I do that?" he murmured, his voice perfectly neutral and emotionless. Nevertheless, it had a certain lilt that made it seem as if Sasuke's statement had bemused him.

Sasuke looked around the kitchen for his older brother, but he wasn't there. "Where's Itachi?" he questioned, heading for the refrigerator.

Sasori's reply was simple. "Out."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. As much as he appreciated the fact that Sasori apparently lacked whatever disease made Itachi's other friends jabber on an on like idiots, Sasori was not very helpful – or forthcoming – with useful information.

He took a seat at the kitchen table across from the redhead. Red hair...Sasuke scowled.

And an idea came to him. He stole a piece of paper and a pencil from Sasori's pile (earning a somehow uncaring glare) and began to write.

_People Who Might Come Between Hinata and I:_

_- Kiba_

_- Naruto_

_- Shino?_

_- __**Gaara**_

The last one he scratched into the paper, making it darker and darker. Then, he sat back and admired his work. "Sasori," he said suddenly, "if you wanted to get rid of someone, how would you go about doing it?"

Sasori once again glanced up at him, looking mildly impressed. "That depends."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "On?"

Sasori shrugged, a small smile on his face. "Many things," he said amusedly. "The person, the time, the circumstances..." he locked eyes with the young Uchiha. "And how messy you're willing to get."

"Hn." Sasuke looked out the window. "I want him out of the picture."

Sasori cocked his head to one side. "May I ask why?"

Sasuke shrugged. "No reason."

Sasori rubbed his jaw. "Itachi was right...you are whipped." He chuckled.

Sasuke whipped around to look at him, then clenched his hands into fists, seething. "I'm gonna kill that son of a – "

"Sasuke, that's quite a rude thing to say about our mother."

Sasuke looked up. Itachi had entered the kitchen, with Deidara trailing after him.

The younger Uchiha glared at his brother. "Fuck you." He snarled.

Deidara laughed. "Oooh, he's got a mouth, Itachi!"

Sasuke shot him an icy glare as well. "Shut up, Blondie."

Deidara looked offended, and was about to say something, but was interrupted by Itachi. "Behave, Sasuke," he said calmly, opening a cabinet. "Swearing is unbecoming." Retrieving a small jar, he walked to the living room, flicking Sasuke's forehead as he passed.

Sasuke glared after him, muttering under his breath.

Deidara sighed, long and loud, and plopped himself down in the chair next to Sasori. "Man, I'm tired, un!" He complained, slouching in his seat. Sasori ignored him and looked at Sasuke, still quite amused. "You said earlier you wanted advice. Yes?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but nodded.

"Fine. I can't give you any advice on love, but I can give you advice on how to get rid of rivals."

All right...he was in.

"Say that the girl you want likes another boy. The logical thing to do would be to make her like you more, or, least, make her stop liking him. However, maybe that isn't possible. The next option would be to make sure he's not interested in her. If he isn't, you're probably safe, for now at least. If he is, though, you have a few choices."

Sasuke nodded.

"#1: Blackmail. Give him a little...incentive. Threats or bribery is also acceptable. However, you should only use it on boys who will get the hint.

"#2: Beat him up. This is for people who can't appreciate a little subtlety."

A pointed glance at Deidara, and the blonde crossed his arms. "Oh, shut up," Deidara grumbled.

"Beating him up will prove your worth. Be warned, it can backfire, and she may end up thinking you're just a bully.

"#3: Talk him out of it. If he's a logical sort of person, give him the cons of pursuing her. Make it seem like it's in his best interests just to let her go. #4: Appeal to his empathy." Sasori paused, and chuckled. "You wouldn't do this one anyway, Sasuke, so why bother?"

Sasuke sent him a glare. "Try me."

Sasori shrugged. "Have it your way. For this, you would have to show emotion. Show that you truly care about this girl, and that you want her more than he does. You may have to beg. This should only be used with the bleeding-heart types, as other boys will just laugh and call you a wimp."

Sasuke grimaced at the thought of begging. Sasori was right – there was no way in hell he would ever grovel at someone else's feet for a girl. Not even a girl like Hyuga Hinata.

Sasori resumed. "I could teach you other ways..." He mused. "But they aren't pretty. Nor are they legal."

Sasuke huffed. "And if it's not just one boy? What if she has multiple admirers?"

Sasori gave him an infuriatingly calm smile. "Oh, I'm sure you can think of something."

Later that night, Sasuke made another list.

_Not Helpful:_

_- Sasori_

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Naruto considered himself a Sakura fan.

C'mon, she was _Sakura_! She was smart, and pretty, and confident, and she was one of his best friends. She was amazing! Too bad her affections were wasted on Sasuke-teme.

Walking along the sidewalk, he shrugged to himself. Oh well. She'd notice him eventually, he just knew it! In the meantime, he had eyes for no one else.

Which was why he was walking to Yamanaka Ino's house, at 1:00 in the afternoon, trying to find his pink-haired crush. He was going to ask her on a date. Sure, she'd refused him before...thousands of times...but hey, she'd also accepted once or twice! That had to count for something, right?

Cheerfully reinvigorated, he lengthened his stride. He'd been to Ino's house a few times, mostly for parties, and he was pretty sure it was this way...

Oh. That had to be it.

The garden in front was literally overflowing with flowers. The brick house itself was fairly large, and it had artful floral arrangements on the front porch. This had to be the Yamanaka residence.

He walked up to the front steps, smiling, and then almost tripped over a flower pot. He yelped, and clutched his injured foot. "Jeez, who puts a flower pot right in front of their door?" he muttered to himself.

...never mind that it had been a good three feet away from said door...

Sighing, Naruto reached up and rang the doorbell. He straightened up, and put his foot down.

"OUCH!" He shouted, clutching his foot again. Kami, that was painful!

He heard the handle turning. He sighed. "Hey Ino, have you seen – "

The door opened fully, revealing Hyuga Hinata. In a maid's outfit. A tiny maid's outfit. Hell, she even had a feather duster and one of those cute little hat thingies. And god. It was skimpy. And left little to the imagination. And holy crap, there was _so much _to imagine...was she always that well-endowed...? Her hair was all curly at the tips, and her thick-lashed eyes were wide and wow...she had really nice legs...

They stared at each other for a long time.

"Um." He said.

The door was promptly slammed in his face.

Naruto, still in shock, stared at the dark wood of Ino's house, forgetting about his foot. Finally shaking himself out of it, he straightened up again, taking a deep breath. And set his foot down.

"GOD_DAMNIT__!"_

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

He was having a fantastic dream.

Naruto knew it was a dream, because how on earth would Hinata be that forward in real life? Oh, that tiny little maid outfit...she was peeking up at him seductively through those long, long eyelashes, her tiny little tongue poking out to lick her lips...and then she was straddling him, whispering in his ear, _"Do you want me to clean you up, Naruto-kun?"_

He groaned. "Oh yeah...be my maid, Hinata...!"

A sharp, sudden blow to the side of the head had him coming back to reality.

"O-Ow..." he muttered, wincing, rubbing his head. He looked up and saw his best friend standing over him. "Sasuke-teme?"

The Uchiha just glared at him. "Baka," he muttered.

Naruto cringed sleepily. "What the hell? Did you just hit me?"

Sasuke snorted. "You deserved it. Next time you want to fantasize about girls you will never have, do it while I'm not here." He gestured to the right, and Naruto sat up, leaning over to get a better look. It was a cot. And it looked like it'd been slept in.

Oh. That's right. Sasuke was over.

Gosh...that was awkward.

"Um," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head. "...how much did you hear?"

Sasuke grunted, sitting down on the side of the bed. "Everything. You're sick, baka."

Naruto sniffed. "Oi, shut up, bastard! It's not like I've ever thought about Hinata like that...before..."

Sasuke gave him a skeptical look. Naruto held up his hands defensively. "Hey! I'm telling the truth here! It's just...wow. Did you know she really grew over the summer? I mean, _really_ grew. She's so...and she's got these _huge_ – "

_Smack._

"Ow!" Naruto complained, rubbing his head again. "What was that for?"

Sasuke didn't answer. He just got up and flopped down on his cot. "Go back to sleep, Naruto," he muttered.

Naruto stared at him for a moment, then shrugged and snuggled back into his blankets, letting blissfull sleep envelope him.

"Oh, Hinata...!"

_Smack!_

"**OW**!"

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

The next day, Sasuke went back to his list. And underlined Naruto's name five times.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**Me:** Gawsh. Long. Longlonglong.

Was it worth it? I rather like jealous Sasuke. Perhaps Sasori was a little OOC...ah, who cares? I'm tired.

Did you like the little hints of DeiIno? And Kiba/Naru/GaaHina? Be prepared for Jealousy, Part II...in which Hinata becomes Godzilla for a day.

Confused by the 'Hinata-in-a-maid's-outfit' scene? Have no fear. All will be explained, my dears.

Review, onegai!


	8. Alone Time

**Me: **In Which Sasuke Realizes Just How Very Creepy He Is.

(And Hinata Grows A Spine.)

Hey, guys! I'm counting down to Christmas, so this chapter takes place somewhere in November. I know there's going to be a lot of Christmas chapters for various stories, and some of them will be...*ahem*...cheesy and blech-worthy. My hope is that mine will not follow that path...so I need your guys' help! Please suggest themes/plot points/Christmas pairings.

Enjoy!

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***(still) Age 14* **

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Sasuke was in Honors World Cultures. Hinata was in Honors World Cultures.

Sasuke had Tekuno-sensei**(1)** for a teacher. Hinata had Tekuno-sensei as well.

Sasuke had World Cultures in 4th hour. Hinata had World Cultures...in 6th.

Personally, Sasuke felt that someone up there was laughing at him. To be so close to Hinata...and then to be in a different class period? Fate hated him.

Fate, or the school system.

In any case, other than the so-close-but-not-quite-class they might have shared together, Sasuke and Hinata did not have any other classes in common. Which put a huge monkey wrench in Sasuke's plans. How the hell was he supposed to woo Hinata when Hinata was out of reach?

Oh well. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands. Which was what Sasuke was doing right about now.

"Tekuno-sensei."

The robust man looked up from his pile of graded papers. "Sasuke!" He greeted cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

Sasuke slid his hands into his pockets calmly. "You asked earlier this year about field trips. I think a good place to go would be Kairakuen**(2)**."

Tekuno blinked, leaning back in his chair. "What brought this on?"

Sasuke prided himself on being an excellent actor. And liar. And – you know what? He was just good at deceiving people. "My cousin works there as a tour guide."

Tekuno smiled. "Well, maybe we can go on a day when your cousin is working."

Okay...maybe not so great at lying. "...it's a summer job."

Tekuno frowned. "Ah, that's too bad." He tapped his chin. "Tell ya what – I'll ask the other teachers, and see if I can get all my classes to go!"

Sasuke nodded coolly, barely hiding his triumphant smirk. That was too easy.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

That was indeed _way _too easy. And, since the universe hated Uchiha Sasuke, there had to be a catch.

Turns out that not only had Tekuno-sensei invited all of his classes, he had invited another teacher's class as well.

And in that class was one Gaara no Subaku.

Oh yes – apparently the universe had seen fit to give Sasuke a spoonful of medicine with his sugar.

Or something like that.

Ah, shut up. Naruto made him watch Mary Poppins last week – he couldn't be held accountable for spouting off random dorky lines.

The point was, if Hinata was going to be there, Gaara was going to be there. And that would be the end of it. Sasuke just had to remember to keep the two of them far, far apart...so he enlisted the help of someone he never thought he would ask anything from, ever.

Rock Lee.

Sasuke did not care how he went about doing it; if the spandex-clad boy had to gag Gaara and tie him up in a janitor's closet, so be it. If he had to knock him out and hide him under a bus seat, so be it. If he had to profess his undying love for the redhead, and jump his bones in front of everyone –

No, wait. That was gross. That was _just gross_.

Shuddering at the disturbing mental imagery, Sasuke readjusted his backpack over one shoulder. They were due to leave in about fifteen minutes, and everyone was boarding the buses. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of indigo in the line of the other bus. _Hinata._ He was just about to start going towards her when he saw that his shy little Hyuga had already been kidnapped by the pink demon, Sakura**(3)**. They were all the way at the end of the line...petulantly, he theorized that Sakura had probably made Hinata late in some way or other.

Scowling, he stepped onto the bus and went all the way to the back. Usually, he would sit with Naruto (or Naruto would sidle up to him and designate himself Sasuke's bus-buddy), but for some reason that Sasuke could _not even begin to imagine_, Naruto was in the regular, non-honors World Cultures class, which, rather fortunately in Sasuke's opinion, could not come. They had a test or something. He really didn't know – it's not like Naruto ever studied for tests, or if he did, never talked about them.

Sasuke wouldn't have listened anyway.

But whatever. If he was going to sit alone, then he was going to sit alone. Every other seat on the bus was taken, and some people had even tripled-up; anything to avoid the death-glare Sasuke sent to anyone who got too close.

They had started the bus and were in the middle of calling roll when Yūgao-sensei**(4)**, another Cultures teacher, stepped aboard. "Is there any room in here? We've run out of seats on Bus 5." She explained to Tekuno. The semi-afroed man scratched his head, surveying the bus. Finally, his eyes stopped on Sasuke, and he smiled. "Yeah, we've got one seat left."

Sasuke scowled. _Damn_. He craned his neck, trying to see who the left-out student was, but they were hidden by Yūgao's tall form.

Said violet-haired teacher looked behind her, towards the bus steps, and smiled. "Okay, sweetheart. You can just go sit in the back, alright?"

Sasuke sighed and looked out the window. So it was a girl. Probably a fangirl. And she would want to talk to him. Or stare at him the entire time. Or worse – talk to him _while _staring at him, like that one awkward redhead girl, Karin.

He knew he was handsome, but...c'_mon_.

Then, Sasuke's ever-so-genius brain kicked into action. _Girl...left out of Bus 5...which means that she'd had to have been at the back of the line..._

And the infamous Uchiha figured it out just as Hyuga freaking Hinata sat down next to him.

He stared. She stared. She blushed. He...stared some more.

She cleared her throat. "A-Ah...s-s-sorry," she said, her stuttering only intensified by the slightly creepy look he was giving her. Sasuke managed to shake himself out of it. "Hn," he offered, and a small smile of relief graced Hinata's features. So he wasn't...angry...or happy...or anything at all. Hinata was reassured that he was an emotionless rock.

On the inside, though, Sasuke was doing the happy dance. (But in a _cool_ way.) _She's sitting next to me. Out of all people, she's sitting next to me. I could've gotten stuck with Sakura, but it seems things are in my favor today._ Smirk. _Thanks, Universe._

Sasuke was broken out of his thoughts by the bus beginning to move – in a jerking motion. Hinata jolted forward, clutching the seat in front of her for support – and then was right back in place, blushing deeper now, clearly embarrassed. Sasuke resisted the urge to pinch her cheek. _I did __**not**__ just think about pinching Hinata Hyuga's cheek._

_...okay, I lied. I totally did._

It was quite a ways to Kairakuen, so most students had brought their iPods and/or cell phones, and were happily chatting/texting away.

Sasuke would have gotten out his iPod, but he was sort of preoccupied with the girl next to him, who, as the trip wore on, began staring out the window in clear wonder. She was leaning forward, just a bit, so that if Sasuke reached out straight in front of him he would land a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were wide with awe, and her lips were slightly parted. Sasuke had to wonder if she'd ever been on a road trip before. He turned to look out the window, trying to see what she saw, but it wasn't anything real spectacular. After all, Naruto and his incessant squawking had forever ruined field trips for him and his poor, poor ears.

Finally, after Hinata had leaned even closer to the window, seemingly unaware that she was encroaching upon Sasuke's personal space (not that he minded), he sighed and said, "Here. Have the window seat."

Hinata, startled, looked at him and blinked owlishly. "R-Really?" she asked. He nodded.

The smile that broke out on Hinata's face was warm enough to melt the Sun, and Sasuke almost choked a little on his own spit.

She got up, and he followed, ignoring the way she accidentally brushed up against him as she slid back onto the seat, this time right next to the window. Immediately, she resumed staring out at the scenery, almost pressing her face up against the glass.

Sasuke seriously envied that damn window.

Pretty content to just sit in silence and hear his own thoughts for once, Sasuke said nothing. Hinata, too wrapped up in her view, said nothing. And so they continued like this, until Hinata closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cold glass, apparently taking a nap.

At this point, Sasuke found himself staring at her face. Once again. She looked peaceful, with the pale sunlight illuminating her skin, and her lashes resting gently on her cheeks. Her hair was so shiny...and soft-looking...he hadn't touched it since fifth grade, when he'd yanked it to get her attention. It was longer now...

Sasuke, unthinkingly, reached out and ran his fingers down her hair, very lightly. He leaned in, and the faint scent of plum blossoms reached him. _Yum,_ he thought absently.

And then he realized that he was being a super-creeper, and recoiled, as if he'd been burned. He looked down at his own hands, disbelieving, as if they had betrayed him.

And, as (his) luck would have it, the bus turned sharply, sending Hinata falling against his side. The plum blossom smell curled around his brain once again. He grit his teeth. _You're seriously trying my patience today, Universe. I take back my thanks._

Trying to be as discreet and gentle as he could, Sasuke moved Hinata away from him, and carefully put her back where she was.

_Thunk._ Hinata's head made a dull thudding sound as it hit the window, and she cried out, immediately awake, clutching her forehead. "Ow," she muttered, then glanced at Sasuke, who was leaning back, arms crossed, face neutral, looking completely normal.

...save for the slight pink tinge to his cheeks.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Kairakuen really was beautiful. It was fairly large, and filled with lovely greenery and foliage. Admission was free for students, except for the Kobuntei**(5)**.

And Sasuke was utterly, irrevocably...bored.

They had split up into groups at the beginning, and Hinata had not been in his. Evidently, the all-powerful-and-grudge-holding Universe had not liked his ungrateful commentary.

Sure, the scenery was great, and it was a fairly nice day (for November) – but the _entire reason_ he had suggested this trip was so that he could have alone time with Hinata. Seriously, the things he did for this girl...

On the bright side, Rock Lee had been successful in keeping Gaara and Hinata apart. He had practically hijacked Gaara when they were put into groups, explaining to their chaperone that Gaara did not have 'the youthfulness of springtime' in his life and that he, Rock Lee, would be glad to put it there.

Luckily, their chaperone was Might Guy – so, y'know, that didn't hurt anything.

Kiba was also there, as well as Chouji, Karin (shudder), and Kin, another girl from Sasuke's class.

And Sakura.

"Hey! Sasuke! Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke internally groaned. They were eating lunch at the Rest House, and Sakura had evidently figured that since Sasuke was sitting alone, he must want company. She skipped up to him, a pretty smile on her face, and sat down next to him on the bench. "Isn't this place beautiful, Sasuke-kun?" She sighed, looking around.

Sasuke was not in the mood. "Che."

Sakura, undeterred, smiled once again. "What've you got there?" she asked, pointing to his food. He glanced at it as well, then gave her an 'are-you-stupid' look. "A bento."

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I can see that, Sasuke. What's in it?"

"Does it matter?"

"Well...no...I was just curious."

"Hn."

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence before Sakura tried again.

"So, what are your favorite foods, Sasuke?"

Sasuke, irritated, ran his fingers through his hair. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?" He asked. Sakura had the temerity to look sort of hurt. But she covered it up well with a huff. "Jeez, Sasuke. I was just trying to be nice..."

"You're always 'just trying to be nice'. You're always 'just concerned about me'. Why do you bother lying to me? Why do you bother lying to yourself?" He was sort of ranting now, but God if he wasn't tired of his childhood friend and her silly infatuation.

Sakura now really looked hurt, and she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, but...but you know that I love you! I really do care about you, Sasuke-kun, why can't you see that?"

Sasuke stood up. "Sakura," he addressed her directly, voice cold. "You're annoying."

For a moment, they just stared at each other.

A tiny, glistening tear traced its way down Sakura's cheek, and her brow crinkled before she stood up as well. They locked eyes for one moment more before she burst into tears, hid her face in her hands and ran the other way, towards the girls' bathroom.

A few students had been watching, and now they were all gaping at Sasuke, as if they were astounded at his cruelty. He just looked the other way, scowling. Inside, he was slightly guilty about making Sakura cry...but he'd told the truth. She was always lying – to him, to Naruto, to herself. She didn't really love him, she loved what he stood for.

"Y-You...BASTARD!"

At this, all heads turned, only to see Hinata Hyuga stomping up the aisle, hands clenched into fists. Sasuke stared at her, disbelieving, as she approached him. Had she just called him a -

Hinata slapped him across the face, hard.

"You are a t-terrible person! Sakura-chan loves you, a-and all you do is hurt her and m-make her cry! I thought maybe y-you were redeemable, but now I s-see that all you are is a huge _jerk!_"

Another slap, even harder than the first one.

"Y-You made fun of me, and stole from me, and I forgave you! I forgave you b-because I thought you would g-get better! That you would grow out of it! B-But you haven't changed at all! How could N-Naruto-kun even be friends with you!"

She made as if to slap him again, but then clenched her fist at her side, taking a deep breath. When she opened her eyes again, they were full of anger and...resolve. She jabbed him in the chest. "I-If you _ever_ hurt Sakura again, I-I will personally come to your house and KICK YOUR ASS!"

And with that, she spun around on her heel and walked away.

The reactions were slightly varied.

Karin gawked.

Chouji gulped.

Kin raised an eyebrow.

Rock Lee was, for once, at a loss for words.

Gaara passionlessly observed everything.

Kiba stuck his head out of the boys' bathroom and yelled, "Daayyumm!"

Sasuke's heart fluttered in his chest.

Dear Kami, he was in love.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"So teme, how was the field trip?"

Sasuke ignored Naruto's cheerful inquiry, and continued walking down the hall.

"Hey, Sasuke, wait up!"

Naruto jogged to catch up to him, then peered into his face. "Did something happen?"

No answer.

Naruto looked curious. "What, did you get hit by a tree or something?"

Kiba, walking behind them, snorted. "Or something."

Sasuke turned briefly, glaring hard. "Shut up, Inuzuka."

While Kiba was laughing his head off, Naruto just looked confused.

"I've gotta get into that Honors Cultures class," he muttered to himself.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**(1):** Actual Naruto character (anime only) who was a Jounin. Check him out on Narutopedia.

**(2): **Also Kairaku-en. A garden in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Opened in July 1842, built by local lord Nariaki Tokugawa. Name means something like "a pleasure to share". One of the Three Great Gardens.

**(3): **Yes, for some weird reason, Ino is not in Honors Cultures. One explanation could be that she's taking a Sophomore course, indicative of her superior intelligence. (In the Naruto universe, Ino had the highest grade in the academy. According to the first _Naruto_ fanbook, while in the Academy Sasuke had the highest grade in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, he had the lowest grade in cooperation and the second-lowest grade in assertiveness, bringing down his average. His overall grade was second place to Ino's.)

**(4):** Also an actual Naruto character, and an Anbu member. She appeared in Part 1 when she visited the grave of her lover, Hayate Gekkō. Oh, Hayate...I loved that guy. R.I.P., man. Bless your chronic cough-addled soul.

**(5): **Historic three-story wooden building. Made up of a main house and a one-story annex, the nobility's private quarters. Also used by the feudal lord's wife and entourage.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**Me:** Phew! Lot of A/N's, huh?

Tell me what you think! No GaaHina, I know – that'll come later. But plenty of SasuHina! One-sided, anyway.

Sasuke, you're sort of really scary, aren't you?

Hinata, you're a badass.

Kiba, you're amazing.

Karin, you're creepy. (Please die.)

Sakura, you poor thing.

Gaara, you sexy stud.

Kin, you served absolutely zero purpose.

What did you guys think of Hinata's blowup? I told you she'd be Godzilla. A cute, stuttering Godzilla. And I am in the Christmas Spirit! That has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but I thought you all should know. Is it weird that I've never seen A Miracle on 34th Street until today?

Let me answer my own question: yes.

I'm rambling now. I'm high off of cider. Is it possible to get high off of cider? If not, I'm just crazy.

I should go now. Before I do something stupid.

Bye!

Oh, and review. Please.


	9. Excerpts

**Me: **I've reached 200 reviews! Bonus chapter time.

I absolutely adore you guys.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 1: (age 14) Hinata Enters The Service Industry***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Ino frowned, flopping onto the bed on her back. "I'm bored," she announced.

Hinata glanced worriedly at the clock. "Sakura-chan said she'd be here a-at 1:00," she said. "Do you think something happened to her?"

Ino gave her indigo-haired friend a pointed look. "Hinata, she's walking down the street of a nice neighborhood, in a nice suburb, in broad daylight. I think she's fine."

Hinata bit her lip anyway, still worried. Ino groaned. "How are we supposed to have a monster movie marathon without the monster movies?" She huffed, rolling onto her stomach. "Stupid Forehead," she grumbled.

The white-eyed girl smiled at her friend's mood swings. "Maybe...we could do something else while we wait?" she suggested.

Ino sprang up off the bed. "You're a genius, Hinata!" she exclaimed. "Let's play dress up!"

Hinata blanched. When Ino said "let's", she really meant "you". "A-Ah, Ino, I don't know if that's – !"

"Nonsense!" Ino declared loudly, in a British accent. "It is a perfectly acceptable _and_ normal idea!" She grabbed Hinata's wrist and whisked her away to the closet, giggling maniacally the entire time.

Some time later, Hinata emerged from the closet wearing a tiny maid's outfit, blushing brightly and averting her eyes. When Ino, perched on the edge of the bed, said nothing, Hinata blushed even hotter and tentatively ventured, "...is there something...wr-wrong?" She looked up.

Ino wiped away the little trickle of blood trailing down from her nose and gave Hinata a thumbs-up. "You look awesome!" She winked, and the bluenette smiled shyly. "Th-thank you...it's just, ano, a little..." she tugged on the hem, trying to make it reach her knees, "...revealing."

Ino waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it's fine. It's my Halloween costume from last year, and you look even better in it than I did!" She cooed appreciatively.

Hinata fidgeted, "I-Ino...please don't take this the wrong way, b-but...I feel like...a...a w...whore..." she barely got the word out before she dropped her head, ashamed.

Ino burst into laughter.

Hinata frowned, cheeks burning. "It's not f-funny," she insisted, tugging at the hem again.

Ino just laughed harder. "Hinata...you...you're such a prude!" she snorted in between peals of laughter.

Hinata crossed her arms over her chest. "I am not!" she said hotly, stamping her foot.

The blonde was now almost choking on her own laughter, eyes wide. "Holy crap," she gasped, "I have to pee!" Still laughing, she got up off the bed and ran to the bathroom.

Hinata huffed. "I am not," she repeated to herself, much more quietly.

Suddenly, Hinata heard a dinging sound from downstairs. Someone was ringing the doorbell. Hinata blinked. "Ino, someone's at your door!" she called out after a moment.

Ino's reply was faint. "Can you answer it? 'M kinda busy!"

Hinata panicked. "I can't answer the d-door dressed like this!" she protested.

"Relax, it's just Sakura!" Ino shouted.

Hinata relaxed. She'd almost forgotten...of course it was Sakura, who else would it be? She exited Ino's room, shooting a glare at the closed bathroom door as she passed.

Descending the stairs, Hinata practically ran to the front door, eager to get Sakura inside so that she could take this outfit off and they could start the marathon.

Sighing, she opened the door –

And came face-to-face with Uzumaki Naruto.

Hinata barely had time to question why Naruto was at Ino's door, clutching his foot, face twisted in pain, before her mind shut down. She watched with no small amount of horror as Naruto's gaze traveled down her body, and then up again. Then down. Up, down. Up, down. Up, down...

Oh god. Her crush was standing in front of her, and she was wearing a maid's outfit.

"Um," said Naruto.

Hinata slammed the door in his face.

And then she whirled around, pressed her back against the cold wood, and started hyperventilating. Oh god. Oh god. How _embarrassing._ How utterly, horribly, _terrifyingly –_

Ino came down the stairs, and took in Hinata's flushed face, rapid breathing pattern, and horrified look. She raised an eyebrow. "What's with you?" She questioned. "You look like you just saw Naruto or something."

And with that, Hinata promptly fainted.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

A few minutes later, Sakura arrived at the Yamanaka residence, holding bags of groceries and monster movies, and rang the doorbell.

After no one answered for more than two minutes, Sakura simply shrugged, opened the door, and went on inside.

And was greeted with the sight of Ino straddling an unconscious Hinata, slapping her repeatedly. And Hinata was dressed as...a maid?

"Wake up!" Ino shouted in a British accent. "Wake up, I say!"

Looking up, Ino spied the very mortified Sakura and sighed, relieved. "Oh good, you're here. Help me wake up Hinata so we can get this thing _on_!"

_Thud._ Junk food and DVDs spilled everywhere as Sakura joined her raven-haired friend on the floor in unconsciousness.

Ino blinked, confused. "I was just talking about the movie marathon," she said to no one in particular.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 2: (age 13) Naruto Gives A Subliminal Sex Talk***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"Er...so...yeah. Um. Romeo and Juliet's story was, uh, a story about...um...love."

Sasuke sighed exasperatedly, sinking lower in his seat. Naruto was giving a presentation. The eighth grade project was supposed to be about tragic love stories; couples doomed from the start. Sasuke had been given Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine; Naruto had been given Romeo and Juliet.

Leave it to the dobe to screw up the easiest couple ever.

"So...um...Romeo was a Montague, right? And Juliet was a Capulet. And they're like, sworn enemies or something. So at the beginning, this guy, Paris, asks to marry Juliet, but it's all weird because she's thirteen. So Juliet's dad asks Paris to wait a few years, while Juliet's mom and her nurse are all like, 'Wow, Paris is related to Prince Escalus, you should _tooootally_ marry him'."

The class was dumbstruck. Naruto, seemingly oblivious, just kept talking.

"So, while this is happening, Romeo and his cousin, Benvolio, are talking, and Romeo's been pretty depressed lately, so Benvolio asks him what's up and Romeo, like, likes this girl from the Capulet family – only it's not Juliet, it's this chick named Rosaline. But whatever, she's not really important. Anyway, to, um, get him out of his funk, Benvolio and Mercutio (who's like, one of Romeo's friends) persuade him to go crash this Capulet ball. At first, Romeo goes so that he can see Rosaline, but then he, uh, sees Juliet, and thinks she's cool, and then falls in love with her instead. And after the ball is over, Romeo, like, stalks Juliet, and follows her to her room...sort of. Like, he's in the orchard, and Juliet is on her balcony. An' she's talkin' to herself, cuz apparently that was pretty normal back then. And she says something like, 'I love Romeo, and it doesn't matter that our families are feuding'. And then Romeo pops out from behind a tree or whatever and they confess their love to each other."

Naruto pauses, and the class is still silent. Even the teacher is just staring in awe. Naruto clears his throat, and continues.

"So, like, the next day, Romeo and Juliet elope, and they're all happy. But then Tybalt, who was Juliet's...cousin, I think...is really mad that Romeo snuck into the Capulet ball, so he challenges him to a duel. But Romeo is like, thinking, 'dude, we're related now, I can't fight him'. So then for some reason Mercutio is suddenly there, and he's like, 'Romeo, you wimp, I'll fight this guy for you'. And they start fighting, and Romeo's all 'oh no!' and then Mercutio is all 'dude! I'm mortally wounded!' and Tybalt's all 'ha! I stabbed you!'"

Another pause.

"Ahem...so, uh, anyway, Romeo is really mad and angsty and stuff, so he goes and kills Tybalt in revenge. Romeo's dad says that he was totally within his rights to kill Tybalt, cuz Tybalt killed Mercutio. But the Prince, who was apparently related to Mercutio, is all 'get out and never come back or I'll kill you' or something. So then Romeo and Juliet spend the night together...if you know what I mean."

Dead silence. No one even coughs awkwardly. Naruto might as well be talking to a brick wall, but that doesn't stop him. He continues on.

"So Juliet's dad says, 'hey Juliet, you have to marry Paris now' and Juliet's all like, 'do I have to?' and her mom is all like, 'yah'. And now Juliet's pretty desperate, right? So she goes to the friar guy that married her and Romeo, and he gives her some sort of weird drug that'll make it seem like she's dead for 42 hours. The friar promises to tell Romeo about the plan, so Juliet takes the drug, and she falls asleep, and everyone's like 'oh no! She's dead!' and they put her in the crypt. But the friar apparently walks really slowly or something, because Romeo finds out about her death from some random guy named Balthasar (who doesn't really matter) and he's grief-stricken so he goes out and buys some poison and plans to end his life, too. But when he gets to the Capulet crypt, _Paris is already there!_ And Paris is like, 'dude, you're not supposed to be in here', and he thinks he's a vandal or something, so he attacks Romeo. And then Romeo accidentally kills him. And then...and...then..."

Yet another pregnant pause, while Naruto screws up his face in concentration, like he can't remember what happened next.

"Oh yeah! So Romeo drinks the poison, cuz he still thinks that Juliet is dead, and then she wakes up, and sees _him_ dead, so she stabs herself with a random dagger that was probably just lying around. Or maybe Paris was using it to fight...? Whatever, that doesn't really matter. So then all the people come into the crypt and find Romeo, Juliet, and Paris dead, and the friar is all sad and the Montagues and Capulets promise to make up and never fight again, and the Prince says some nice words or something. The End."

Naruto smiles pleasantly at everyone, and the class slowly comes back to reality. And with them comes the teacher, who clears his throat and says, "Um...right. And what was the main theme, Naruto?"

Naruto frowns contemplatively, then his face lights up again in enlightenment. "Oh! Right! The story of Romeo and Juliet was about, like, star-crossed love, and how it was really sad that they loved each other but they couldn't be together because of their families. Cuz...cuz...well I don't know why they hated each other so damn much, but the point is, Romeo and Juliet loved each other so much that they, like, killed themselves to be together." Naruto was getting excited now. "Because, like, they were finally together in death, weren't they? And they probably loved each other even more! Because, because – "

He spread his arms out dramatically. "Abstinence makes the heart grow fonder!"

...

Somewhere in the back of the room, Sasuke facepalmed.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

When Course Recommendation Day comes around, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura all slapped their slips of paper down on a nearby desk and crowded around them, eager to see their possible schedules. Well, Naruto and Sakura crowded – Sasuke coolly leaned in.

Sakura, first to break from the circle, squealed in delight. "Yes! Four honors classes!" She turned to Sasuke, smiling. "What about you?"

Sasuke shrugged, smirking slightly. "Four." Both of them slowly turned to Naruto, who had been eerily silent this entire time. His blue eyes stared at his recommendation paper, face blank.

"...Naruto?" Sakura ventured tentatively, stepping towards him. "Are you alright?"

Abruptly, Naruto's head flew up, and he wailed in agony, causing Sakura to jump back in surprise. "I didn't get in!" He half-sobbed. "I didn't get in to Honors Cultures!"

Sasuke and Sakura shared a look. "Um...Naruto..." Sakura tried again, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. It's not the end of the world, right?"

Naruto sniffed. "But you and Teme are in Honors Cultures! What am I going to do without you guys? I'll die! I'll totally _die_!"

With another tremendous sob, he flungs himself down upon the desk. Sakura now looked appalled, and Sasuke couldn't blame her. The sight was slightly...disturbing.

"It was the Romeo and Juliet presentation, wasn't it?" Naruto cried, slightly muffled by the desk his face is smushed against. "I knew it! Oh, why have you persecuted me, low IQ? WHY?"

Sakura looked hesitant, like she was thinking of attempting to comfort him again, but Sasuke just shook his head. "No, Sakura," he said quietly. "Leave him. He is beyond our help now**(1)**." Sakura nodded slowly, eyes still cast on Naruto, and then the two of them walked away.

A few minutes later, Naruto raised his head, tears and mucus running down his face. "Thanks for staying with me, guys," he sniffed gratefully. No answer. "Guys?" He looked around.

"DAMNIT!"

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 3: (age 14) Because Hinata Won't Put Out For Kakashi***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

Hinata was late.

"Hinata's late," Kiba commented.

Shino nodded.

Silence prevailed over the two boys.

A tumbleweed blew through.

Kiba groaned and rolled his eyes. "Alright, this is just getting ridiculous. Where is she?"

Shino adjusted his glasses on his nose. "She said she had some work to finish for Hatake-sensei. Perhaps she is merely running later than she anticipated."

Kiba huffed. "That guy...drives me insane. He shows up, like, fifteen minutes late for class, always with some dumb excuse that nobody buys. And he's so fucking calm all the time! Like, what the hell?" He cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing menacingly. "Oh, but you know what really gets me? He's a total pervert! Up at his desk, reading romance novels...what self-respecting guy reads romance novels, huh? And it's not just that! This thing, with always keeping Hinata late..." he shakes his head. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was flirting with her!"

With that dramatic declaration, Kiba stuffed his hands in his pockets and grit his teeth.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Shino was...laughing?

Kiba, utterly shocked, whipped his head around to look at his glasses-clad friend – but when he laid eyes upon him, Shino was calmly admiring a car in the parking lot.

"This day is just one big mind-fuck," Kiba muttered to himself.

Shino suddenly looked up and pointed at something behind Kiba. "There's Sai-san. He usually stays late, maybe he will know where Hinata is."

Kiba turned around, and sure enough, there was the pallid boy, walking down the sidewalk and whistling like it wasn't October and he wasn't wearing a shirt that only came to his midriff.

Kiba raised a hand in greeting. "Oi! Sai!"

Sai stopped, looked at them, and smiled his phony smile, approaching his two peers quite calmly. "Is there something you need?" he said. Kiba frowned, not necessarily angrily. "You seen Hinata around?"

Sai kept on smiling. "You mean Flat Rack? Yes, I've seen her."

Kiba twitched in response to Sai's nickname for Hinata.

And then lunged at him, only held back by Shino grabbing the back of his coat. "Just what the hell do you mean, 'Flat Rack'?" He snarled, swinging wildly.

Sai blinked. "Nicknames show a friendly familiarity. Unfortunately, I seem to have rotten luck with doling them out...so I've decided to call people the opposite of what they are. Like with Gorgeous. So the logical choice would be to call Hinata-san – "

Shino interrupted flatly. "Yes. We know. The question is, where did you see her?"

Sai smiled again. "In Hatake-sensei's room. He seemed to be helping her with something. Leaning over her work, hand on her shoulder...pointing out a problem to her, I suppose."

This observation did nothing to quell Kiba's killing intent. "That fucking perverted bastard! I'm gonna his hand and shove it up his – "

"K-Kiba-kun?"

All three boys turned at the sound of the quiet, soft voice. Hinata was standing there in her coat, looking confused and slightly aghast. Shino immediately let go of Kiba's collar, and the dog-boy fell to the ground. He promptly popped up, however, and gave her an uneasy smile. "Heyyyyy...Hinata...um...how's it...goin'?" He asked sheepishly.

Sai seemed very amused by it all. "Hello, Flat Rack," he greeted pleasantly. Hinata gave him a kind, albeit uncomfortable smile, and turned back to her two friends. "U-Um...I finished the work for Hatake-sensei..." she informed them, poking her pointer fingers together. Shino nodded. "We're ready to go if you are," he said. Hinata smiled sweetly at him, and gave Sai a little wave. Sai waved back, mimicking her perfectly, and the trio began walking.

Kiba turned around and flipped him the finger, then turned forward again.

Sai watched them go, still smiling agreeably.

Someone came up from behind him and stopped at his side, watching them as well. "What was that all about?" Shin**(2)** asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sai turned to him slightly. "Oh, Hinata would not put out for Kakashi, so he kept her after school. Then when I divulged her nickname, her dog got angry." He said idly. "It seems he does not like my nickname for her."

Shin shrugged. "Pity," he commented. And the two of them walked away.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 4: (age 13) Sasuke Is Defeated By A Massive Nosebleed***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

_Ring ring!_

"Hn."

"U-Uchiha-san..."

"...Hinata?"

"P-Please...um...please have m-my children." (laughter in background)

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I-I am so sorry. They – they made me do it..."

"..."

"Uchiha...s-san?"

"..."

"Sakura-chan...I-I think he fainted."

"..._guh_..."

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 5: (age 7) Ino Starts A Fanclub***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"A_hem_. This meeting of the Sassy Sunflowers will now come to order!"

As Ino banged her gavel, all the chatting girls immediately fell silent, staring expectantly at their leader. "Honorable Ino-mistress-leader-person presiding."

Ino smiled dazzlingly. "Good. Now, down to business – we have a school picnic coming up soon, about a week from this Thursday. Concerns?" Ino pointed her gavel at Shiho**(3)**, the secretary, who promptly began reading the list of possible problems. "What should we wear?"

Everyone again looked at Ino, who tapped her chin for a few seconds before nodding to herself and announcing, "It's supposed to be sunny, so wear something cheerful...something bright. But not neon – _never_ neon." She said sagely.

All the girls smiled and began whispering amongst themselves.

Shiho cleared her throat, and all fell silent again. She began reading again. "What dishes should we bring?"

Ino smiled. "Cookies. Pastries. Lemonade. Remember, you are a Sunflower - anything sweet!"

Everyone nodded. Ino straightened up and cleared her throat. "Okay! Now it's time for general questions. Anyone?" She looked expectantly around at the girls.

Ami stood up. "Ino-mistress-leader person, I have a question."

Ino smiled encouragingly...with a hint of malice. "Yes?"

Ami's eyes narrowed, but she continued. "If someone threw flowers into someone else's mouth, and claimed those flowers were poisonous, but then they turned out to be harmless, what would that person's punishment be?"

Ino's smile was strained. "Absolutely none. It's the other person's fault for being stupid enough to believe it. Next!"

With furious eyes, Ami sat down, sinking low in her folding chair.

After a moment of silence, Sakura stood up. She smiled shyly. "Um...I have a question..." She blushed slightly. "What can you do...to...hide a large forehead?"

Ino blinked, then smiled sympathetically. "You know what? I have just the thing. See me after the meeting."

Sakura looked delighted, and she sat down.

"Anyone else? No? Alright. Consensus time!"

Everyone cheered.

"Pink is boring. Purple is in! Agreed?"

"Hai!"

"Animal sweaters are cute. Yes?"

"Hai!"

"Sasuke is the godliest hottie ever. All agreed?"

"HAI!"

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 6: Sasori Receives a Phone Call***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

_Ring ring!_

"Hey. Hey Sasori."

"..."

"Hey, Sasori."

"..."

"Sasori."

"..."

"Sasori...guess what?"

"...what."

(giggle) "I'm on the phone."

"Deidara, have you been drinking?"

"...nooooooooo..."

"Go to bed."

"But...but...it's only 8:30!"

"It's three in the morning."

"Ohhhhh...hehehe...so that's why there's no one here."

"No one where? ...where are you?"

"...YO MAMA'S HOUSE!"

"No one's there because my mother is dead."

"...you're such a fucking killjoy, Sasori."

"Go to bed."

"MAKE ME!"

"As you wish. Be there in ten."

_Click._

"Oh, shit!"

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 7: Deidara Advises The Uchihas On What To Name Their Child***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"Uchiha residence, Itachi speaking."

"Hey there, handsome."

"...what?"

"I need you. _Right now_."

"Who is this?"

"Yo grandpa."

"...okay."

"I'm not bringing you any presents this Christmas."

"...you sick bastard."

"That's what I told your parents to name you!"

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 8: (age 14) Sasuke, King of Evil***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"Uchiha residence, Sasuke speaking."

"What the fuck? Are you guys, like, trained to answer the phone like that?"

"Who is this?"

"_Your worst nightmare."_

"Nice try, but Naruto in a ballroom gown is my worst nightmare."

"..."

"Gotcha."

(whimper) "Eugh! Now it's _my_ worst nightmare!"

"Exactly."

"I'm hanging up!"

"Hn. See you in school, Deidara."

"...!"

_Click._

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

***Excerpt 9: Itachi, King of All Evil, In All Universes***

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

"Uchiha residence, Itachi speaking."

"_Dude._ Your brother is fuckin' scary."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah. Like, way scary. He's pure _evil_."

"Hm. Tell me – do you like puppies?"

"Yeah...why?"

"I kick them. I kick them out of the way, so I can go drown some kittens."

"...!"

"Are you aware that we recently elected a mayor of an unknown political party?"

(whimper) "...yes...?"

"He belongs to _my_ party. He answers to me. As we speak, I am making all your financial decisions for the next ten years. And those new taxes?"

"I don't like this game anymore..."

"Just answer the question."

"...what? What do you do with the taxes?"

"I use them to fund the local drug cartels."

"..."

"And do you remember that cake you ate last week that tasted odd?"

"No..._no_...!"

"I had nothing to do with that."

"Oh."

"But I can't say the same for Pakkun."

"...you sick mofo!"

"Now who's pure evil?"

(gulp) "...you, sir."

"That's right. Who's the king of mindfucking?"

"...you, sir."

"Exactly. Now hang up and go confess your love to Tobi."

"Yes, sir."

_Click._

"Heh. You lose, Sasuke."

"Ah, screw you."

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**(1)** – Heh. Harry Potter reference.

**(2)** – Shin...you know, Sai's best friend. From his Root days.

**(3)** – Shiho. The creepy girl? Who liked Shikamaru? Worked as a cryptoanalysist? Or something like that.

**{0-o-0-o-0}**

**Me: **Don't dispute Itachi's claim as Evil Overlord of the Universe.

Happy holidays!


	10. Apologize

**Me: **I'm back, bitches.

I know I suck. I know I'm lazy. Honestly I could spend two paragraphs apologizing for the long break, but you'd just be like, 'omg shut up get to the story' and scroll down past it anyway. So here's your one sentence apology: I was busy, life got in the way, sorry for sucking.

And now on to the fun!

* * *

><p><strong>*Age 15*<strong>

* * *

><p>Kin was the kind of girl who always smelled like bubblegum.<p>

Spearmint, fruity, classic, whatever. If it was available, she was chewing it.

Kin was also the kind of girl who cared more about her gum than her whiny friends.

"_I mean, who does the bitch think she is? Acting all cute and innocent…like, what the hell? Who __does__ that?"_

Friends like Karin.

"_And seriously, what does she have that I don't? Black hair? Freaky white eyes? Boobs? __I__ have boobs! And they're pretty damn nice ones, too! Are they not big enough? Well, whatever! Big boobs are overrated!"_

Kin, lying on her bed on her back, phone to her ear, smacked her gum. "Uh-huh," she said dispassionately.

"_I swear, Sasuke doesn't know what he's missing. Does he know I work out, like, five times a week? That Hyuga girl has probably never used a treadmill in her life. Seriously, she's like, doughy or something!"_

_Smack._ "Uh-huh."

"_And she has no backbone! I'm sorry, but NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU! Speak up! Or at least stop stuttering! Oh my god, don't even get me started on her stuttering. It's fucking annoying."_

"Uh-huh."

"_So what if they were in the same elementary school? She was probably super freaky back then, too! I don't even know why Sasuke associates with her. She's like, at the bottom of the food chain."_

"Uh-huh."

"_She's like, the most awkward person on the face of the planet. Always tripping over stuff and fainting in the middle of class. What, does she think that's hot or something? News flash: guys aren't attracted to girls who squeak and stutter and blush every time they talk to them. Guys want confidence, they want __maturity__."_

"Uh-huh."

"_And do you know what she did in Kairakuen? She slapped him! The __nerve__! I always knew she was a fucking psycho bitch! Sasuke was just minding his own business when she came up and slapped him across the face! He probably could've stopped her, but you know how he's a gentleman…"_

"Yeah. Sure."

"_I was about ready to go over there and beat some sense into that bitch's ugly face. But then the teacher came over, and nobody said anything! I was so outraged. I was going to go up and tell him what Hinata did, but who knows what she would've done if I had? She might've attacked me or something. She could've had a gun!"_

"Uh-huh."

"_You should've seen it! She was insane, I swear to god, you should've been there."_

"I was."

"_I don't even know why anyone likes her. I bet it's 'cause she's rich. They probably all wanna get in with her because she's loaded. Whatever. If she wasn't rich, no one would want her. I don't even know why Sasuke does. Hey! I just had a thought!"_

Kin rolled her eyes. _There's a shocker._

"_I bet he's just hanging around with her because he feels sorry for her! Oh my god, that has to be it, there's no other explanation. That's so sweet! It's totally unnecessary and sort of weird, but it's sweet that he would do that for such an obvious social retard."_

_Smack._

"_You know what? I'm gonna confront that little skank. She thinks she can just waltz in and take Sasuke away from me? Well, she's got another thing coming. No way in hell am I going to back down so some mental asylum escapee can steal __my__ man."_

_Smack._

"…_Kin, are you chewing gum?"_

"Duh."

"_Well knock it off. It's annoying."_

"Everything annoys you, Karin. Except for Sasuke. You're sort of a bitch that way."

"_Oh, I wouldn't be talking if I were you!"_

"Condescend all you want, I'm not gonna deny it."

"_Why do I bother with you?"_

"I have been asking myself the same question for over an hour now."

"_Har har. You're freakin' hilarious."_

See, Karin was what Kin would call an obligatory friend. They had grown up across the street from each other, gone to the same daycare, preschool, and all other schooling after that, and could not remember a time when they were not together. Whether or not they actually liked each other was inconsequential; Kin thought Karin was a whiny bitch, and Karin thought Kin was a stuck-up whore. Yet they still hung out together, talked on the phone, and occasionally stopped being disgusted by the other long enough to paint each other's fingernails. It was a sad, sad relationship.

Kin kind of liked it that way.

But not as much as she liked her gum.

_Smack._

"_Ugh, you bitch!"_

* * *

><p>The two girls stood facing each other, each donning a light jacket, each with a calm look on their face.<p>

"Sakura," greeted Ino.

"Ino," Sakura replied.

Wordlessly, they turned and walked towards the swing set, each taking a seat. They had been queens here. Rulers, empresses, gods.

The elementary school playground.

Sakura spoke first. "So I guess you heard about the field trip."

Ino glanced over at her, kicking off from the ground to start her swinging. "Yeah. I did."

"So you heard about Sasuke."

"Yeah."

Sakura sighed, pushing her gloved hands inside her jacket pockets. "You must think I'm stupid, huh?" She muttered. "Sasuke tells me what he's been telling me for years, and I run into the bathroom and cry like a little girl."

Ino shook her head. "Hon, you're not stupid, you've just got a really, really bad crush. He was just being his regular douche self." She shrugged. "And hey, at least you had Hinata to stand up for you."

A small smile flitted across Sakura's face. "That was pretty awesome of her. Did you know she slapped him?"

Ino raised an eyebrow. "The way I heard it, Sakura, she backhanded him and then curb-stomped his pretty Uchiha face."

Sakura laughed a bit. "It almost sounded like that. I could hear her, even in the bathroom. I didn't know she had it in her."

Ino smiled mischievously. "I did. It's always the quiet ones, you know?"

"Ew."

"I was talking about inner strength, Sakura. What were _you_ talking about?"

"I-I was talking about that too!"

"Mmm, I bet."

Sakura childishly stuck out her tongue, to which Ino laughed. Sakura giggled as well, and the two girls fell silent for a few moments.

"Hey…Ino?"

"Yeah?"

"I think – I think Sasuke likes Hinata. Is that…crazy?"

Ino turned to gauge her friend's reaction, but Sakura was looking at her feet. She turned forward again. "Well, Forehead, I hate to say this, but you're late to the party."

Sakura looked up. "Huh? You…knew?"

"Um – duh."

"For how long?"

"A while. Two or three years."

More silence.

"And you never _told_ me?"

Ino twisted her lips thoughtfully. "To be honest, I thought it was a phase. I thought he'd, like, grow out of it or something. You know, like that time when I was only dating redheads."

Sakura's nose crinkled up. "That was weird. You flat-out refused anyone else for months."

"Yeah, I thought it was something like that. But, instead of redheads…it was Hinata. And instead of me, it was Sasuke."

"Still kinda weird," Sakura mumbled.

"Oh, hey, I agree. But it's been like, years, and it hasn't gone away. So unless this is a really really long phase, Sasuke really does like her."

Sakura scuffed at the woodchips with her shoe. "How did you find out?" She finally asked.

"I dunno, just like, little stuff. Like, he'd pick a seat close to her in class. Or in fourth grade, when he carried her books for her for a few weeks. I'd see them together, and it'd be weird, because, you know, they never hung out before…but then I was like, maybe Sasuke was doing it on purpose. And it just came together after a while." _Also, my hot older boyfriend let it slip while we were making out, _Ino added mentally, but refrained from saying out loud. She had a reputation for getting the juiciest information, and no way in hell was she going to reveal her secret methods.

Sakura's eyebrows knit together. "I never saw any of that…"

Ino's back straightened a bit, and she took on her patented 'Queen Bee' tone. "No offense, Forehead, but you didn't stalk Sasuke _half_ as much as I did," she said, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

Sakura sweat-dropped. "That's what you're proud of…?"

"Aw, shut up. Where's your Christmas spirit?"

"That has nothing to do with Christmas!"

"That's what YOU think!"

"Stop turning the tables on me! This is about you!"

"Oh no, we were talking about you, remember?"

" W-Well – whatever!"

Ino grinned. "Merry Christmas, Haruno."

Sakura smiled at her, then kicked off and began swinging. Little by little her smile faded, until she was left with a pensive look. "Merry Christmas, Ino."

* * *

><p>A quiet dinner at the Uchiha house.<p>

Itachi took a drink of water. "So…I'm becoming a lawyer," he mentioned casually, then took a bite of asparagus like he had just commented on the weather.

Everyone erupted at once. Well, Mikoto erupted, Fugaku exploded, Sasuke just spit out his milk.

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU THINKING? YOU CAN'T JUST DECIDE THAT WITHOUT CONSULTING US! THIS IS A HUGE DECISION AND – "

" – CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE EVEN CONSIDERING BECOMING A LAWYER WHEN YOU ARE GUARUNTEED A VERY STABLE JOB IN THE POLICE FORCE OR THE COMPANY WHENEVER YOU WANT IT! I'VE ALREADY TALKED TO YOUR COUSIN HIROKO AND HE ASSURED ME – "

" – AND WHERE ON EARTH WERE YOU PLANNING TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL, IT BETTER NOT BE OUT OF TOWN OR I SWEAR TO GOD – "

" – AND IF YOU THINK I AM GOING TO GO TO YOUR GRANDFATHER AND INFORM HIM THAT HIS FIRST GRANDSON HAS REFUSED POSITIONS ON BOTH THE FORCE AND UCHIHA CORP., THEN YOU ARE SERIOUSLY MISTAKEN, ITACHI – "

" – SHOULD THINK ABOUT JUST WHAT KIND OF EXAMPLE YOU ARE SETTING FOR YOUR BROTHER! OH GOD, WHAT IF HE GETS SOME CRAZY IDEA THAT HE WANTS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL STUNTMAN OR SOMETHING? THINK OF SASUKE! WHAT WOULD WE DO IF – "

" – IF I HAD EVER SUGGESTED ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT I WOULD GET THE BEATING OF A LIFETIME FROM YOUR GRANDFATHER! HE WOULD WHIP ME SO HARD THAT – "

" – SASUKE COULD END UP A STUNTMAN, ITACHI, A STUNTMAN! ALL BECAUSE YOU DECIDED TO BECOME A LAWYER! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DEFEND THOSE BIG-TIME MOVIE STARS FROM DRUG CHARGERS WHEN YOUR BROTHER WINDS UP DEAD BECAUSE HE TOOK A WRECKING BALL TO THE FACE FOR – "

" – AND THEN HE WOULD TAKE MY ELBOW AND DRIVE IT INTO THE BACK OF MY OWN KNEE! AND IF I HADN'T PASSED OUT BY THEN, HE WOULD WHIP ME AGAIN, AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PORCUPINE QUILLS WERE SO FAR UP MY – "

" – AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE REST OF OUR FAMILY? ALL YOUR COUSINS MIGHT GET CRAZY IDEAS, TOO, LIKE BECOMING SKYDIVERS OR SHARK-CAGE TESTERS! HOW WOULD I EVER EXPLAIN THAT TO YOUR AUNTS AND UNCLES? THE FACT THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO BECOME A LAWYER, ALL OF THEM HAD TO SUFFER HORRIBLE JOBS, OH ITACHI, HOW COULD YOU DO THIS – "

" – SO THAT I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO WEAR A CUMBERBUND AGAIN!"

Both Uchiha parents stopped talking at once, breathing hard, staring at their son with mixed looks of anger, pleading, shame, and painful thoughts about porcupine quills.

Itachi merely took another bite of asparagus. "I don't see what the problem is," he said calmly.

Before Mikoto and Fugaku could launch into another tirade, Sasuke intercepted them. "So you're finally getting out of the house," he said, leaning his chin on his palm. "About time."

Itachi smiled a bit. "I could say the same for you."

"I'm fifteen years old," Sasuke reminded him in a deadpan monotone.

"That's no excuse – I had a job at your age. And I still have one. And that is why I've been living at home until now." He didn't mention the fact that Mikoto had begged him to stay; it didn't need to be said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and 'tch'ed – his typical response when his point had been countered.

"I'll still visit," Itachi said, somewhat gently, sensing that his brother's scorn wasn't all that genuine.

Mikoto abruptly burst into tears. "Itachi…my little boy!" She sobbed, throwing herself across the table to embrace him.

Fugaku Uchiha sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I hope you know what you're putting us through," he said to Itachi.

The eldest Uchiha son merely smiled. "I do," he said serenely through his mother's wails. "And I hope you can forgive me one day. But this is what I want to do."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out," he muttered.

Itachi, who had taken to reassuringly patting Mikoto's back, reached over for Sasuke to poke his forehead. "I'll try my best," he said seriously.

And so Mikoto cried, Fugaku tried to deal with his headache, Itachi smiled, and Sasuke privately mourned the eventual loss of his brother.

Not that he, you know, liked him or anything.

* * *

><p>There was a warm glow spread across the front of her body. Her back was noticeably cooler, but not uncomfortably. And there was something tickling her nose…<p>

As Hinata came back to consciousness, she realized that she was in her living room, in front of the fireplace. A small fire was flickering gently inside. There was some music playing in the background which she took a few seconds to identify as the ending credits of a movie, playing on the flat-screen above the hearth. And the thing tickling her face was a cat.

Blearily, she moved away from the cat so as not to disturb its sleep, and then propped herself up on an elbow. She yawned widely, then remembered how she got here.

"Kiba-kun!" She nearly shouted, bolting upright.

To her relief (and a moment of shock), Kiba popped up beside her. "What's up?" he asked, quizzical.

She blushed. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I fell asleep during the movie," she murmured, rubbing her eyes and glancing at him guiltily.

Her friend just grinned. "That's okay, the ending was pretty lame anyway." He looked up at the TV. "All hugs, no closure."

She smiled sleepily, sitting criss-cross and reaching out to pet her cat, who opened one eye at the contact and mewed almost indignantly at her. "Okay, Inku," she conceded, taking away her hand. The cat closed its eye again and presumably fell back asleep.

Hinata yawned again, then sighed. "I wouldn't have fallen asleep if I hadn't been s-studying for finals all the time," she groused, and Kiba laughed. "Hey, at least you're studying. I can't make myself look at those study guides for more than fifteen minutes without wanting to put a bullet through my head," he said cheerfully.

Hinata grimaced. "They're not _that_ bad…"

"They're pretty bad."

"…okay, they aren't all that fun."

"Hinata, they're the epitome of non-fun."

"That's not a word."

"It is if you use a hyphen!"

Smiling lightly, Hinata got up, wincing as she examined the rug marks on her arms. She gathered their abandoned popcorn bowls and walked to the kitchen, humming. Kiba got up as well and trailed after her.

As she rinsed her bowl, Hinata glanced out the window. "Oh, it's still snowing," she murmured, faintly surprised. Kiba hopped up on the counter beside her. "Yeah, has been for hours." He grinned. "You were really tired."

She shrugged absently. "I guess I was." She picked up Kiba's bowl and rinsed it as well, sitting it inside the sink for now. "So what do you want to do now?"

Kiba fished his cell phone out of his pocket. Looking at the screen, he grimaced. "Unfortunately, I can't do anything. Ma wants me home when Hana gets here, and she's due in a few hours."

Hinata was confused. "Doesn't she have to study for finals as well?" She wondered.

Kiba shook his head. "Her university is on the quarter system. She has finals in the first week of December."

Hinata blinked. "She just finished, then?"

Kiba cocked an eyebrow, smirking. "Seems crazy she'd want to spend her time off with us, right? If I was in college and just got done with finals, I'd want to relax for a bit, not go home to a bunch of rambunctious dogs, an annoying little brother, and a crazy bi – "

"_Kiba!_" Hinata slapped his arm, mortified.

"Hey, she is. I mean, she's my mom and everything, but she runs a hard ship **(1)**." He shrugged.

Hinata, blushing at his lack of respect, changed the subject. "W-When do you have to be home?"

"By three."

"I'll walk you…"

He smiled, pinching her cheek. "Aw, Hinata, you don't have to."

Frowning, she batted his hand away. "I want to."

Kiba pretended to be struck by her words, holding a hand to his heart. "Well, how could I ever say no to that face?"

She flushed predictably. "You're a dope," she mumbled.

"Hey, hey, no name-calling, Hinata!" He slid off the counter, pocketing his cell phone. "That's verbal abuse." He looked her in the eye very seriously. "If you loved me, you wouldn't hurt me."

Hinata rolled her eyes and left the kitchen to retrieve her jacket.

Kiba followed. "Don'tcha, Hinata? Don'tcha love me?"

No answer. Hinata laced up her shoes.

"Hinata? Don'tcha love me? Don'tcha? Huh? Don'tcha?"

Hinata sensed defeat was imminent, and sighed, resigned. "Yes, Kiba, I love you," she monotoned, opening the door and stepping outside.

Kiba slung an arm around her shoulders. "I knew it," he said happily. "No woman can resist my charms." Hinata pouted at his overconfident statement, but soon found herself smiling. "Alright, handsome, let me walk you home."

Kiba pulled her closer as they set off for his house. "Keep talking like that and you're liable to get me blushing as bad as…well, you."

"…S-Shut up…"

* * *

><p>"It has been a long and bloody conflict – "<p>

"Huh?"

"But the time has finally come."

"For what? Naruto, what are you talking about?"

"One man; one day; one destiny."

"Seriously, what is this."

"The war between teacher and student is drawing to a close…who will emerge victorious?"

"What the fuck, I don't even know what to do with you."

"The last battle; the last test…the _final_ test."

"Ohhhhh…I see where this is going."

"The day has arrived – the last final exam before winter break! Will Naruto finally defeat his greatest and oldest enemy – "

"Let me guess, it's a test."

"Granny Chiyo!"

"Okay, I was wrong."

At that particular moment, the aforementioned Ms. Chiyo decided to appear in the doorway where Naruto and Kiba were hanging out. "Don't dawdle," she squawked sharply. "The exam begins in five minutes."

She proceeded to shuffle into the classroom, apparently not feeling the two boy's gazes following her; Kiba with bemusement, Naruto with contempt. "Damn old lady," sneered Naruto. "She has it in for me."

"Maybe because you're failing her class?"

Naruto turned to Kiba, indignant. "I'm only failing because she hates me!"

"No…No, I think it's cause you suck at science."

"I do not."

"You totally do."

"Shut your face, Inuzuka."

Kiba frowned and was about to retort when Naruto cut him off, pushing himself off the wall and holding a fist up to no one in particular, as if he was challenging the universe. "I don't care, it doesn't matter! Even if Granny Chiyo hates me, I can still ace this test!" He proclaimed valiantly.

Kiba raised an eyebrow. "It would be really hard not to; this is the easiest science class the school offers." Changing his expression to a thoughtful one, Kiba amended, "Although, we are talking about you…"

Just as Naruto "prophesized", it was the last test of the last day of final exams. The last test before winter break. The last test before freedom. And Naruto was determined to get a high score. All semester he'd been sitting on top of a 78 percent, and no matter what he did he just couldn't raise it to a B. But with this exam, which counted for 20 percent of the semester grade, he was sure to get at least a B-. And by god if he didn't, there was going to be hell to pay.

…and by pay, he meant money to Jiraiya, because he'd made a bet concerning his final grades and so far it wasn't looking too good for his piggy bank. He had to get at least one A (not counting gym) four Bs, and he was limited to one C. Unfortunately his final grade for math was a 79, largely due to the fact that he panicked during the math final exam and totally lost control of his limbs, resulting in his hand filling in all the wrong answers…at least, that was the story he was sticking with.

"One minute warning, get to your seats." Chiyo called, and students began to file into the room, taking their seats and getting out their calculators and lining up their #2 pencils _just_ right.

_This is it_, Naruto thought giddily. _I've been studying for weeks and now it's time to prove myself. I got this, man. I fucking got it._

One by one the tests were passed out, and after scrawling his name on the appointed line Naruto read the first question.

_**List some examples of phenotypical characteristics that present two or more varieties and of phenotypical features that do not vary. In relation to the genes correspondent to those characteristics that vary among individuals what can be expected about their alleles?**_

…

…

…

_Oh, fuck me._

* * *

><p>Standing along in the bus circle, Hinata was feeling rather buoyant.<p>

She had just finished her first set of final exams as a high-schooler. And if she did say so herself, she thought she had done pretty well.

She had studied and studied and studied and then studied some more, because damn it she was a Hyuga and if she didn't get As across the board…

She shuddered to think of the implications. A lifetime of shame and dishonor for her family…at times like this she imagined her father as a daimyo and herself as a samurai, and she could never quite measure up to his expectations. She could see him now…

"_Hinata, I see you killed the 1,000 Unkillable Demons! Impressive…if not for the fact that YOUR SHOE WAS UNTIED THE WHOLE TIME!"_

Her dream self was in the middle of apologizing and preparing to commit seppuku when someone walked up to stand beside her. Tall, dark, motionless…

For a moment, she thought it was Neji, and turned to him –

Only to find herself facing Uchiha Sasuke.

Quickly her head snapped forward and away from him. She hoped he hadn't seen her – but she was pretty sure she had made eye contact for 1/4 of a second. Damn it. She'd really been hoping to avoid this confrontation. In her moment of bravado at the field trip she had insulted him, attacked him, and threatened him, not realizing in her anger that they still went to the same school and would most likely be seeing each other in the future. She had also not taken into account that the witnesses to her little display were teenagers, and would therefore tell everybody they knew about it at the first opportunity.

Luckily the story of her slapping Sasuke and swearing in his face had not reached Neji or any other family member, but it was still running around the school. And while she was embarrassed and ashamed of her childish display, she was also feeling a little guilty.

Even if Sasuke was a jerk, even if he broke Sakura's heart…did he really deserve to be assaulted? In front of the entire World Cultures class?

She wanted to apologize. Yet at the same time…

She really didn't want to have to face him ever again.

_Pleasedon'tsayhipleasedon'tsayhipleasedon'tsayhi…_

Hinata prayed with all her might, harder than she'd ever prayed for anything before, that her father's car would turn in and swing around to pick her up just in the nick of time – but, like pretty much every other time, her prayers went unanswered and she was left to deal with the situation on her own. Damn it! Why did people think it was a good idea to let her take things into her own hands? Her hands were terrible at taking control of things! They were the worst hands ever! _I hate you, hands…_

Sasuke was indeed looking at her. Damn it, was he going to try to talk to her? _Damn_ _it_, he was. "Hyuga – "

"I'm sorry," she squeaked, almost involuntarily. Immediately afterwards she placed a hand over her mouth and looked down at her feet. Damn it.

A pause. "…I should probably be saying that."

Hesitantly, Hinata snuck a glance up at him.

In concurrence with the cold weather, Sasuke was wearing a navy blue jacket and had his hands in his pockets. And he was looking down at her with a hint of a frown. Could it be…remorse? She couldn't tell. Having lived with Neji for fourteen years, she was fairly good at decoding the expressions of the expressionless…but Sasuke was a whole other story.

"I was unfair to Sakura." He muttered. "She didn't deserve it."

Hinata managed a weak smile. "I-I'm sure she forgives you. You're one of her best friends…" She swallowed and looked away.

Sasuke adjusted his backpack over his shoulder, and Hinata shifted her weight from foot to foot. Neither really knew what to say.

"I'm…really sorry I slapped you." Hinata finally said in a soft voice, poking her index fingers together.

He shrugged. "Don't be. I got what I had coming."

"And…I'm sorry I judged you."

"Don't worry about it."

"And I'm sorry I yelled."

"It's fine."

"And I'm sorry I called you a bastard."

"You can stop apologizing now."

"R-Right."

They stood there for a few minutes, Hinata desperately searching for something to say that wasn't another apology, and Sasuke searching for something to say…period. Well, not so much searching as he was waging war with himself on the matter of saying what he'd been trying to say, with actions more than words, since the fourth grade.

_Just say it, stupid. Say you like her. It's not that hard. It's – what, three words? You can say three words. They're not even multiple-syllable words. I. Like. You. Do it. Do it now!_

But The Powers That Be, having finally gotten around to answering Hinata's prayers, chose this moment to have Hiashi Hyuga swing around in his Laundaulet** (2)**. Hinata perked up upon seeing her car, glad to be rid of this awkward situation. "Have a good winter break," she said in parting to Sasuke, not quite meeting his eyes. She then started for the car, walking just a smidge faster than was necessary.

"Bye," Sasuke muttered, not quite loud enough for her to hear.

Hinata reached the car and climbed into the passenger's seat, waving once at Sasuke before shutting the door. The vehicle then pulled out of the parking lot, and Sasuke was once again alone with his unspoken confession.

_You were great. A truly inspirational performance, Sasuke._

Sasuke grimaced and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. _Shut up, brain._

So far, all of Sasuke's plans to make Hinata like him had…well, failed. Bullying had gotten him dislike, being nice had gotten him friendzoned, ignoring her had literally done _nothing_…he was running out of ideas.

_Could always go back to showing off…seems to work for the dobe, she's always staring at him._

Sasuke then imagined himself acting like Naruto: talking like Naruto, walking like Naruto, _eating_ like Naruto…and shuddered.

_Alright, that's off the table._

Well…damn. He was completely out of ideas. And no way in hell was he going to Itachi – he was too old for advice from his older brother! He'd rather walk the whole length of the Great Wall of China with shoes made of Legos **(3) **than condescend to ask Itachi for help.

But wait – there was another…

* * *

><p>Uchiha Mikoto was a naturally intuitive woman. But marrying into the Uchiha family had forced her to up the ante of her deduction skills in order to keep up with the high level of emotionlessness they displayed on a daily basis. As such, she had fine-tuned her senses to pick up the tiny, faint signals of emotion coming from her men in her family on the rare occasions that they showed them.<p>

So when Sasuke walked into the living room, she immediately knew what he was feeling, who he was feeling it for, and why he had come to her.

But instead of cutting to the chase and telling him what he wanted to know, she decided to make him say it out loud.

What? She might be a housewife now, but she'd been the most cutthroat businesswoman this side of West Konoha Boulevard before she met Fugaku. And she still reveled in making people squirm.

Sasuke sat down on the couch with his hands in his pockets, not looking at her.

Not looking up from her magazine, Mikoto just continued humming a song and idly flexing her feet where they rested on the coffee table.

They sat there for a few minutes in silence before Sasuke cleared his throat. Only then did she look up. "Did you want something, Sasuke?" she questioned, smiling.

Her youngest son slouched a little, turning his head to the side aloofly. "I was…" he started, then grimaced a little.

Mikoto set down her magazine, smiling sweetly. "Yes?"

His eyes slid to hers, then quickly away. "Wondering…"

She leaned forward a little. "Sasuke, what is it? You can tell me." Oh, she was enjoying this far too much.

Sasuke closed his eyes and grit his teeth, steeling himself. "I like…a girl," he said finally.

What Mikoto wanted to do was spring out of her armchair and dance around the living room, throwing confetti and singing about her son becoming a man.

But that would just result in Sasuke's immediate Death By Embarrassment. She knew her son, and she knew that it took all the will he possessed to come down and talk to her about this. So what she did instead was smile understandingly, and say, "And you want to know how to tell her?"

Having been sapped of all his strength by the confession, Sasuke shrugged a little, still not looking at her.

"Alright, Sasuke, I'm going to tell you a little secret." The Uchiha matriarch stood and walked over to the couch, sitting down beside Sasuke and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Girls like a little bit of romance. You don't have to be anyone but yourself to get her to like you – you just have to show her that you care." She ruffled his hair a little. "Okay?"

Sasuke grunted in reply, shooting her a look of mild irritation at her affectionate display, but did not move away.

Mikoto smiled. _Oh, you're such a momma's boy._

Patting the top of his head, she stood and walked to the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of water. Sasuke needed to be alone right now to deal with his…feelings.

She nearly laughed out loud at the thought. Sasuke, with feelings! For a girl!

Would wonders never cease?

* * *

><p>On a school day, Hinata usually woke up at 6:20, took a shower, got dressed, made herself breakfast, left some for Hanabi and Neji, brushed her teeth and tried to do something about her hair, and was out at the bus stop at 7:00.<p>

But this was winter break.

At 10:45 Hanabi came skipping into her room and threw open the curtains, instantly blinding the previously sleeping Hinata with sunlight. Hinata made a noise somewhere between a groan and a whine and ducked under the covers, where it was darker.

"Time to get up, Hinata!" the younger Hyuga girl sang, jumping on the bed and shaking the immobile lump that was her sister. Hinata made another sound from under the covers.

Hanabi grinned evilly. "If you don't get up, I'll have to pull the 'cold douse of water' trick!"

A leg shot out out from under the covers and caught Hanabi in the stomach, sending her sprawling on the floor. "Ow, you jerk!" Hanabi yelled, getting to her feet and rubbing her sore behind. "I wasn't gonna _do_ it!"

More unintelligible grumbling from the bed.

Hanabi crossed her arms. "Fine then," she sniffed. "I guess you won't get to see what someone left for you on the front step!"

With great effort, Hinata pulled the blanket off and swung her legs over to sit on the edge of her bed. Rubbing her eyes, she finally formed some recognizable type of communication. "Uh…? What are you talking about?" She murmured sleepily.

"It's from a _boy_," Hanabi teased. "I'd get rid of it before Dad sees!"

And with that, she flounced out of the room, only to be nearly knocked over by a now fully-awake Hinata who was sprinting down the hall. "Watch it!" Hanabi shouted after her, her eyebrow twitching. As she watched Hinata scramble down the stairs, she crossed her arms, shrugging helplessly. "Teenagers," she sighed.

Opening the door, Hinata was immediately met with the freezing air of a December morning. Wincing, she grabbed whatever it was on the front step and brought it inside, shutting the door behind her. Glancing around quickly to make sure her father wasn't lurking anywhere near, Hinata finally let herself calm down and actually look at the thing.

It was a small blue vase holding a single flower. Attached to the stem was a small note. Hinata picked it up and read her own name in unfamiliar handwriting.

_Oh._

All the air left her lungs in a surprised exhale. A flower? For her?

It was beautiful, a fresh and pretty white peony that couldn't possibly have come from anywhere but the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Maybe Ino had sent it…?

Confused, she looked at the small card again, trying to decipher the sender from the handwriting. It looked to be from a male – straight and formal lettering, no curls or loops. It wouldn't make any sense for it to be from Ino, anyway. If Ino had sent it, there would be a cute little message and her elegant, girly signature on the card.

Then it was from a boy.

Immediately Hinata's face flushed red as her mind raced through the boys she knew. Kiba? Shino? Naruto? Sasuke? Shikamaru? Lee? Chouji? Who would have sent her a flower? Did one of them...like her?

Her mind immediately went to Naruto. Naruto, who she adored, whose smile was the most radiant she'd ever seen, Naruto –

Who would never have sent her a flower.

Her face fell, remembering his longtime love for Sakura. How could she have forgotten that, even for a minute? If Naruto sent a flower to anyone (and now that she thought about it, that in itself was unlikely) it would be Sakura.

Well…that left her few options. Kiba and Shino were like brothers, neither of them would send her such a romantic gift. Sasuke was probably the least likely candidate, seeing as she had physically assaulted him a few weeks ago. Shikamaru, she was sure, would have been more straightforward if he liked her that way – he was too lazy for much else besides a 'wanna go out?' She didn't know Chouji that well, and Lee was in love with, once again, Sakura.

Who else could it be?

Hinata stood in her panda-themed pajamas in the foyer, pondering this for a few minutes.

And then she remembered a redhaired boy with kanji on his forehead and icy teal eyes.

Gaara?

Would Gaara have sent her flowers? The same Gaara who sat two seats behind her in Geometry? The Gaara who seemed incapable of feelings for anyone, romantic or otherwise?

The more Hinata thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He had flirted with her in the hallway…he _was_ always polite to her…he always offered to check homework with her in math…maybe he was just shy. It was possible he didn't know how to express his feelings.

A small smile crept up on her face, her cheeks flushing brighter. Someone liked her…_Gaara_ liked her.

Sighing wistfully, Hinata held the flower to her chest, relishing the feeling of having an admirer.

And then she ran to the kitchen and stuffed the flower in a cupboard, because Hiashi would have an aneurysm if he knew anyone had romantic inclinations towards his eldest daughter.

A half a mile away, Sasuke looked up from his book, his eye twitching.

Fugaku, typing out a memo on his laptop, glanced up at him. "Something wrong, Sasuke?"

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "It's…nothing."

Fugaku didn't look convinced. "Sasuke, your eye is going into conniptions. Something's bothering you."

Sasuke was silent for a minute. "I have the weirdest urge to shank a redhead," he said slowly.

The Uchiha patriarch gave him an odd look, then went back to typing. "That's nice, son," he said. _Must be hormones._

* * *

><p><strong>(1): "Your classmate, Naruto, is the village hero, but look at you!" Kiba's mom = tough love<strong>

**(2): Because Hiashi is a classy mofo.**

**(3): Have you ever stepped on a Lego? That shit is painful.**

* * *

><p><strong>Me<strong>: Well this was fun. I must have started this chapter last January – no, seriously. And I finished it in a little over a year.

Hurray for work ethic.

The plot thickens! And so does Naruto's skull! What will Sakura do about this new information? How will Sasuke survive without his older brother? How will Hinata handle "Gaara's" affections? Did Naruto ever get that A?

These questions and more will be answered next time on…Courtship!

No they won't. I lied. I'm never updating. :|

…

…

K thx bai!


	11. Unacceptable

**Me: **So does anyone still read the manga or…?

Because I just can't bring myself to. Nope. I'm more than happy to just hide in the past, where Naruto only knew, like, 2 forms of the Rasengan, and Team Taka was still together, and Tobi's real identity was a mystery. I mean, I know what's happening…I just don't _like_ it. It seems like it's…wrapping up or something. And that just depresses me. : (

On the bright side, I updated.

* * *

><p>The day that Gaara went back to school was typical in every way.<p>

Almost.

His room was freezing that morning, so he spent every last second possible lying in his warm bed until Temari burst into his room demanding that he rise and consume breakfast.

He then proceeded to eat a bland meal of soggy cereal, his appetite only further dampened by Kankuro's ravenous and horrific consumption of his own toast with peanut butter. By the time he was finished he had minutes to spare, so he trudged up to his room and threw on some clothes, brushed his teeth, glared at his reflection in the mirror, and went back downstairs just in time for Temari's Last Check Before Departure, which included himself, Kankuro, their lunches, backpacks, making sure Kankuro was wearing pants, and of course her car keys.

During the ride to school Temari sang off-key to songs on the radio, something which was even more aggravating than it should have been because he knew for a fact that Temari could sing fine – she was just torturing them with terrible pop music. It was her only fun of the day, she said. Stop singing or else, he said back.

While they were waiting to get into the bus circle, Gaara decided to look over his schedule again. He had mostly the same classes, a few of the same teachers, and the same lunch period as last semester. He was neither pleased nor displeased with the changes in his schedule – it really did not matter to him either way. The only thing that briefly crossed his mind was whether the girl with white eyes was still in his math class…he had the same teacher and period as before, and wondered if she did too.

Temari dropped them off at the front door and drove off to find a parking spot before they were all snatched up – school did not, in fact, start for another thirty minutes, but Temari was dead-set on getting there early to park at the school because, as she said, "No way in hell am I parking five minutes away from the damn building because some dumb little sophomore who lives down the block decided to drive to school in her Mazda and take _my _parking spot."

Upon entering the building, Gaara immediately detached himself from Kankuro's presence because – well, look at him. The boy was wearing a damn cat-eared hood. Gaara didn't particularly want to be associated with that kind of person, regardless of whether or not they shared DNA.

He retreated to the library, which was mostly empty due to the popularity of the cafeteria as the main before-school meeting place. He sent a nod to the librarians, then set up in the furthest corner of the library, where he was least likely to be disturbed. He picked out a random book and propped his feet up on the table. Just another day at school.

"U-Um…excuse me."

Gaara glanced up.

It was Hinata, the white-eyed girl from math. She was quiet and pretty. Gaara rather liked her.

She smiled nervously. "H-Hi."

"Hello," he replied monotonously.

She shifted weight from foot to foot. "I, uh. I got your f-flower," she said, her face flushing a little.

Hm. Perhaps this day wasn't quite so typical after all.

* * *

><p>"Do you really have to drive me to school?" Sasuke grumbled.<p>

Itachi, who had been humming along to an atrocious pop song, glanced over at his little brother in the passenger's seat. "You have a learner's permit, Sasuke," he explained calmly, "which allows you to drive while there is a supervising adult over 21 years of age in the car. Since I'm not 21, I can't supervise, and you can't drive."

Sasuke, having no argument for that, merely grunted and slumped further in his seat, and Itachi resumed humming.

"Sucks to suck, Sasuke," Naruto piped up cheerfully from the back seat.

Sasuke turned and sent his friend a glare that could freeze a bonfire. "If you want, Naruto, we can take you back to your house and you can just walk to school," he said darkly.

Naruto held up his hands in defense. "Hey now, there's no need for that!" He laughed nervously. "B-Besides, Itachi wouldn't do that to me…would you?"

Itachi smiled at him in the rearview mirror. "If you hadn't offered me ten dollars I never would have let you get in the car," he said pleasantly, turning into the school parking lot.

Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "You two are so mean to me," he proclaimed. "I miss my bus one time, _one time_ – "

"This is the fourth time," Sasuke remarked dryly, opening the car door.

" – and you make me pay you for a ride to school! Friends don't do that to friends!"

"The last time I checked, you were _Sasuke's_ friend," Itachi reminded him. "And my car doesn't run on friendship. So pay up."

Naruto shot him a nasty look and dug around in his pocket, grumbling under his breath, and slapped a few bills in Itachi's outstretched hand.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Itachi said emotionlessly. "Now get out of the car."

As Itachi drove away, Naruto and Sasuke made their way up the school steps. "Your brother's an asshole," Naruto said, making a face.

"Tell me something I don't know," Sasuke muttered.

"Okay…um, I once had a dream that you were wearing a ballgown and your father made me dance with you at your birthday party because no one else would."

"…I'm leaving now."

"O-Oi, wait up!" Naruto shouted to the back of Sasuke's head as the Uchiha boy moved further and further ahead in the crowd. "I don't know my schedule! Where's my first period class?" He wailed.

When Sasuke got inside, Sakura was sitting at their usual table, reading a book. "What took you so long?" she inquired curiously as he approached. "Usually you're here ten minutes earlier."

"I had to take a detour to pick up Naruto," Sasuke murmured, sitting down and slipping his backpack off his shoulder.

Sasuke had indeed apologized to Sakura over winter break, in his usual Sasuke fashion – in other words, he had said "sorry" without the word "sorry" ever crossing his lips. She had forgiven him, as she usually did, because they were friends and Sakura was a forgiving sort of person.

When she wanted to be.

"What did you get for Christmas?" she asked.

"Clothes," he said simply. "You?"

She made a face. "Clothes."

All of a sudden a pair of tan hands was slammed down on the table. "Sasuke-teme, why would you leave me like that?" Naruto whined. "I didn't know anyone in the crowd! I was so alone!"

"You were 20 feet from the door," Sasuke remarked disinterestedly.

But Naruto was inconsolable. "A whole 20 feet of complete isolation! Do you know what that can do to a man?!"

Sakura, having had enough, yanked Naruto down by his collar. "Sit down, you idiot, you're causing a scene!" she hissed, a tick in her forehead.

Naruto, sniffling, did as he was told and took a seat. It wasn't fair! Everyone picked on him.

There was blessed silence for a moment while Sakura read and Sasuke sat boredly, until Naruto perked up again upon spotting something behind Sakura. "Hinata!" he shouted joyfully. "_Hinata_ won't pick on me!"

Before either of his friends could blink, let alone stop him, the blonde was leaping at the poor white-eyed girl who was just walking into the cafeteria with a boy.

"O-Oh!" she squeaked, blushing a hot red as Naruto encased her in a hug. He threw his arms around her and buried his face in her collar as Sakura came running and Sasuke strolled over. The pink-haired girl put her hands on her hips. "Naruto, get off of Hinata right now!" she growled. Sasuke joined her, glaring at the blonde who was currently _nuzzling_ the Hyuga girl's neck. And then, for the first time, they both noticed Hinata's companion. Sakura reacted with surprise and delight, Sasuke…not so much.

"Hinata-chan they were being so _mean_ to me because first I missed my bus and had to pay Sasuke's asshole brother for a ride and then Sasuke left me behind in front of the school and then Sakura yelled at me and nobody loves me except _you_, Hinata!" Naruto wailed, oblivious to the commotion he'd caused.

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata murmured nervously, glancing at the boy next to her as if to ask, 'is this alright?' He said nothing, just watched passively. "Um…there, there…" Hinata said, awkwardly patting his back, still blushing an interesting shade of vermillion.

Sakura, remembering what she had run over for, yanked Naruto off the poor girl and proceeded to give him a good talking-to.

With her fists.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was more concerned with the boy standing beside Hinata. Standing a little too close, first of all. Second of all, he just so happened to be –

"Do you want to leave?" The redhead asked her, seemingly unimpressed with the scene before him. His gaze landed on Sasuke, who was glaring daggers at him. He glared back for a second, before his expression smoothed out as he looked back to Hinata.

"It's fine," she said distractedly, watching Sakura beat up her friend mercilessly. "We can stay if you want…?"

"I would like to talk to you," he said frankly, crossing his arms. '_Alone' _was implied. Looking away from the familiar sight of Naruto getting knocked around, Hinata looked up at him, curious. "S-Sure. Over there?" She pointed to an empty table near the exit.

The red-haired male nodded, and Hinata smiled a bit, then glanced over at Sasuke, suddenly remembering his existence. "Ah, I'll be there in a second," she promised, and Red sent another glare at the Uchiha before walking off.

Hinata turned to him, clearing her throat. "U-Uh…" she said, poking her fingers together. It was still far from comfortable for her to talk to him. "How was…your break?" she tried.

"Fine," Sasuke said tersely, still glaring at the redhead making his way across the cafeteria.

Hinata followed his gaze, confused. "Do you…know each other?" she asked.

Sasuke just grunted, leaving Hinata with no answer to her question, but she decided not to press him. Honestly she wanted to keep their interaction to a minimum from now on. God, it was painful just to say this much to him…and the conversation so far had consisted of eleven words, one of them being 'uh'.

"Well…" Hinata said, trying to seem cheerful but failing miserably. "I'll see you around…?"

Sasuke again just grunted. _Okay, Hinata, that was your not-so-subtle clue to leave,_ she thought glumly. Was he really so annoyed by her very presence? She had already apologized, right? And he had accepted it…had he changed his mind?

_Well, forget him! _The Hyuga thought, a little irritated. She might be naïve, but she knew when she wasn't wanted. She turned and left without another word, tuning out the sounds of Naruto being beaten to a pulp, and resolving not to speak to Uchiha Sasuke until he could be reasonable and speak to her like a normal human being.

Sasuke was also ignoring Naruto's wails and Sakura's screeches, choosing instead to glare at the table where Hinata and the redhead were now sitting, conversing like it was completely normal and acceptable for Hyuga Hinata, who was for all purposes _his_, to be talking to that stupid Red kid. It was…it was…_un_acceptable! And what was his name, anyway? Sasuke had a tendency to forget names once they were no longer important…and this boy hadn't been important until now. Damn it, he should know this. He had known it last year…damn. What was it!? Goro? Garu? Garfield?

* * *

><p>"Gaara no Subaku."<p>

"Here," the teal-eyed boy replied in a monotone, raising his hand.

Sasuke, sitting behind him, glared holes into the back of the boy's red-haired head. What a smug asshole…sitting there, acting all nonchalant, ignoring all the stares going his way with a cool indifference…what a jerk.

As the teacher began to outline second semester for them, Sasuke reluctantly tore his laser eyes away from "Gaara" and settled on the current object of his vexation.

Hinata, on the other side of the room, was dutifully taking notes, a crisp new notebook on her desk and her #2 pencil perfectly sharpened. He took this moment to observe her, suddenly wary. Why was he getting so worked up over her? Okay, so he had liked her since they were 9 years old, and she hardly spoke to him, and he thought about her a lot, and sometimes he accidentally started doodling her name on his homework. Big deal. She was just a girl.

A girl with…really long hair. It was currently tied up in a ponytail, and still brushed her shoulder blades. While the instructor struggled with the overhead projector, she leaned back a little in her seat, pencil idle for the moment. Absently, she brought her ponytail over her shoulder and began fiddling with the ends, chewing her bottom lip until it was dark pink.

The projector finally started up, and it was then that Sasuke realized he was salivating.

Discreetly wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he grimaced. Okay, so it was a hopeless situation. No use trying to reason himself out now. He just had to pull out the big guns.

Like more flowers.

When he had sent her the single white peony, he had expected it to be intercepted by one of Hinata's family members, and so had not signed his name on the card. He was not too keen about making this courtship public. And in doing this, he also acknowledged the possibility that Hinata would never see it. Someone might have wanted to keep it from her. There was her younger sister, who might want to mess with her by throwing it away, her cousin, who was well-known to be overprotective, and of course her father, who, as he had heard, was "one strict sonuvabitch", a direct quote from one of his uncles who had a little too much to drink at a family reunion.

So it was understandable that she hadn't thanked him. He would just have to send another…maybe in a sealed box this time so as not to arouse suspicion. And another, and another…and eventually, maybe he would let her catch him putting one on her doorstep one day…

The mental picture of her surprised (and hopefully elated) face was so satisfying that he leaned back in his chair and had not one more thought about Gaara no Subaku the entire rest of the class period.

* * *

><p>It was, for once, totally quiet at the lunch table. Kiba was nudging Shino, half to make sure he was still conscious, half to make sure he was seeing this. Shikamaru was, naturally, asleep. Chouji was looking around at everyone, thoroughly confused. Naruto slurped his noodles quietly, glancing from time to time at Sakura, who was sharing looks with Ino, who was scrutinizing Sasuke, who was staring long and hard at one thing in particular.<p>

The entwined hands of Hinata Hyuga and Gaara no Subaku.

Hinata had decided prior to entering the cafeteria that the best way to deal with her friends' reactions…would be to ignore them completely. As much as she loved them, she _hated_ confrontations. They were not the most discreet individuals. So when she brought Gaara over to the lunch table, she met no one's eye and simply sat down next to him. And when their hands brushed while she was reaching for her carrot sticks, she took a deep internal breath and slipped her fingers through his. And then said nothing more for the rest of the lunch period.

Subsequently, she didn't notice everyone staring at her, and she especially didn't notice Sasuke glaring like he wanted to sever Gaara's hand. With a plastic spork.

It was Naruto who broke the silence. "So…how did you two…meet?" he asked, as awkwardly as humanly possible.

Hinata's heart sank. She couldn't exactly ignore a direct question. "He, ah, gave me a flower," she said, as quietly as humanly possible.

Sasuke abruptly stood up, turned around, and stalked off. As angstily as humanly possible.

"H-Hey, Sasuke, you okay?" Sakura called, surprised.

"Not hungry," he shot over his shoulder.

All eyes followed him out of the cafeteria, then promptly returned to Hinata. Upon meeting their gazes, she realized her mistake and flushed red, averting her eyes. She had practically given them permission to speak. Now they were all staring openly, and looked on the verge of asking her more. And that was _unacceptable_. "I'm going to the bathroom!" she announced quickly, retracting her hand from Gaara's and getting out of there as fast as she could. _Stupid Sasuke_, she thought, embarrassed, running away from the table.

Everyone watched her go, then expectantly turned to Gaara.

"Nice to meet you all," he said blandly.

* * *

><p>"We should…have a name or something."<p>

"Like what?"

"Like…uh…the Coalition…For…Getting Hinata Laid."

Sakura cringed. "I don't think that's the best name for what we want to do."

"Whaaat? Why not?"

"Well, we're talking about Hinata here. Right?"

Ino crossed her arms, looking a little suspicious. "Right…"

"Ino, it's _Hinata_. She's never even kissed a boy. She blushes when she hugs someone. She fainted once when Naruto high-fived her!"

"Oh yeah…had to drag her off the soccer field in the middle of a game…"

"Point is, let's take this one step at a time, huh? I highly doubt she's getting laid anytime soon. I highly doubt she _wants_ to. I don't even think it's legal."

"Fine. How about…the 'Make Sure Hinata Hooks Up and Stays With an Acceptable and Pre-Approved Boyfriend Club'?"

"That sounds…somehow worse."

Ino sighed. "Alright, we'll put the name on hiatus." She leaned back in her chair, pursing her lip thoughtfully. "But we're definitely agreed on the objective, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah. So…should we vote on him?"

The blonde girl shrugged. "Might as well. What do you say?"

"Ehhhh…" Sakura looked pensive. "I vote…no. Right?"

Ino nodded emphatically. "Yeah, definitely. He's wrong for her. She's so sweet, and he's so…not."

"He's kind of rude."

"And he never smiles. I vote no."

Sakura flipped open the notepad, enjoying herself. This was _fun_ – in a weird, do-we-really-have-nothing-better-to-do kind of way. "We've decided, then. We're just gonna have to keep them apart. First order of business of the 'To Be Named Later but Having Something to Do With Hinata's Love Life Club' – " she clicked her mechanical pencil a few times, and wrote a big 'NO' next to 'Uchiha Sasuke'. "Keep Sasuke away from Hinata."

* * *

><p><strong>Me: <strong>So this is a tad late. Like…two months or something.

But I've been getting such positive reviews for this story, even in the long wait between updates. You guys are the best. I've said that before, right? Well I _meant_ it. So there.

_Plot twist_! Sakura and Ino may be in Sasuke's fanclub, but they are not in SasuHina's. And Sasuke is not in Gaara's. But Gaara is in Hinata's. And vice versa. So Sasuke has a bit of a problem on his hands. And that is unacceptable.

...

My car doesn't run on friendship. It runs on reviews.

Vroom vroom.


	12. Obstacle

**Me: **Was this a long time coming? You tell me.

…yes, it was.

* * *

><p><strong>*(still) Age 15<strong>*****

* * *

><p>Sasuke was a patient sort of person. It was a trait that came with his whole "cool-calm-collected" personality package. He could wait quite a while to get what he wanted, when he wanted to.<p>

He managed to wait about a day before confronting Gaara.

"Hey," he said, approaching the redhead just before Chemistry. He considered adding a 'fuckface' to it, but decided that that was probably overkill.

Gaara turned to him. "Oh. You." His unnaturally deep and gravelly voice dragged on the word "you" as if it was something wholly unpleasant.

"Yeah. Me." Sasuke sat down next to him. Neither of them said anything for a moment. "You didn't give that flower to Hinata," he said.

If Gaara was surprised, he did a damn good job of hiding it.

"Can't imagine she'd be very happy if she knew." He bounced his pencil against the desk absently. "She might not want to hold your hand anymore."

Gaara stared at him for a moment, then turned forward. Sasuke bit back a smirk. _Gotcha. _"I assume…" Gaara said quietly, "that since you are so sure I didn't give it to her, you are the one who did."

Sasuke's pencil stopped tapping.

"And that means that you like her, in some capacity. But, as she told me, the card attached wasn't signed. Which means that you don't _want_ her to know that you like her." Gaara looked at him out of the corner of his unnerving teal eye.

Sasuke scowled internally. _Fuck. Did not think this through._

Gaara gave an almost-smile, and the effect was disturbing. "Don't worry. I won't tell."

Sasuke recovered, and shrugged. "It wouldn't matter if you did, I wasn't the one who left it for her. I just saw the guy who did. And he sure as hell wasn't you."

Gaara was no longer smiling, but didn't look particularly upset. He rested his chin on his palm, eerily calm. "I don't believe you."

"Believe what you want," Sasuke said. "Either way, I know the truth."

"Either way, you were at or near Hinata's house. Which is strange, because you don't live in that neighborhood."

"How do you know where I live?" Sasuke frowned to cover his discomfort.

"I don't. He does." Gaara pointed behind him.

Sasuke turned around, and saw Rock Lee, across the room. When Lee met his eye, he sent him an extra-sparkly smile and two thumbs-up. Sasuke could only stare in dismay because Rock Lee was, in fact, his neighbor. "We're friends now," Gaara deadpanned from behind him. "He instilled me with the Springtime of Youth."

Sasuke schooled his expression, and turned slowly back around, sending Gaara a mildly irritated look. "I bike past her house on the way downtown, that's why I saw. Your paranoia is getting less and less amusing."

"So are your accusations," the tattooed boy replied in his raspy drone. "Why do you care so much?"

Luckily, Hayate-sensei chose this moment to enter, burdened with multiple folders and a clunky-looking laptop, as well as his perpetual and concerning cough. As Rock Lee leapt to his feet to valiantly aid the teacher, Sasuke murmured, "You're lying to her."

"You're lying to me," Gaara murmured back.

Sasuke shot him a glare. Gaara glared back. They spent the entire class period like that, staring intently into each others' eyes.

Shikamaru, sitting in the back of the classroom, wondered if Hinata's new boyfriend was gay. That was sorta surprising.

Sasuke, not so much.

* * *

><p>Hinata was a tranquil sort of person. It was a trait that came with her whole "shy-sweet-serene" personality package. It was not often that things greatly excited her, or agitated her, or distracted her.<p>

"Hyuga, Hinata. Hyuga, Hinata…Hinata…Ms. Hyuga!"

Hinata jumped a little. "Here!" she squeaked. Her face grew red as a smattering of giggling ran through the room. Genma-sensei gave her a strange look and continued with roll call, while she slunk low in her seat. Oh boy. Off to a great start.

"What's up, space case?" Kiba leaned over and poked her with his pencil.

"N-nothing, I'm tired," she mumbled, batting it away.

"Inuzuka, Kiba."

"Here," Kiba glanced briefly at the teacher, then turned his attention back to Hinata. "No, seriously. Is it Gaara?"

Hinata suddenly became very interested in lining up her pencils on her desk.

"Oh, it _is_ Gaara!" Kiba grinned, delighted. "Thinking dirty thoughts? Can't wait to get him alone again?" He waggled his eyebrows, and Hinata smacked his arm, bewildered. "What's the matter with you?" she said, but there was more exasperation than reproach behind her words.

Kiba crossed his legs, leaned back in his chair. "The doctors aren't sure. I guess I'm just happy for you. I'm excited that someone finally figured out how hot you are. I mean, besides me and Shino."

Hinata made a face at that, and Kiba laughed. "Yeah, it's gross. You're like a sister to us. A hot sister."

"Should Hana be concerned?" Hinata muttered, attempting to deflect attention, but Kiba was having none of it. "Okay, blech, that's actually really nasty, but we're talking about you. You and Gaaayyyy-raahhh."

Hinata made another face. "Eugh, don't say his name like that." She bit her lip, then decided to share her thoughts. "Okay, I was thinking about him. But – but not in a dirty way!" She fiddled with her hair. "I was just…thinking. About him."

"Yeah? What about him?" Kiba sounded genuinely interested.

"It doesn't seem real," Hinata said carefully. Kiba raised an eyebrow, prompting her, and she continued. "Me, having a boyfriend. I don't even know him that well. It happened kinda fast…I asked him this morning about the flower, and then he asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. I said yes, automatically, before I even really knew what he'd asked."

"So, what, you _don't_ want to date him?" Kiba frowned.

"No, not that, I do…I don't know. I guess…it's just kind of…sudden. I didn't know he liked me. He didn't really give off any hints. I never would have known if he hadn't sent me a flower." She frowned, tugged at her hair more agitatedly. "What…what do you think he sees in me?" She asked, much more quietly. "I mean, why does he like me?"

"Uh, cuz you're amazing? I mean, what's not to like about you? You're smart, you're cute, you're funny, you have a killer right hook – no, don't give me that look, I totally deserved it for accidentally copping a feel – and you're probably the nicest person anyone has ever met. There's, like, no downsides to you."

"Y-You think so?" Hinata's voice was wistful.

"I _know_ so. Gaara's one lucky sucker. All the rest of these tools are just too intimidated to talk to you. He's the only one who had the balls to tell you how he felt." Now it was Kiba's turn to sound wistful.

As Genma finished attendance, Hinata's thoughts turned to Gaara, once again. His seemingly sudden interest was confusing, but, she had to admit, flattering. Yes, she decided, he just didn't know how to express himself with words. And he wasn't a bad first boyfriend. He was quiet, like she was, but assertive. He was smart. And he was…nice, was that the right word? Passive was more fitting. No, he couldn't rightly be called nice. But neither could he be called mean. He did look pretty hardcore, what with the kanji tattoo, and the kohl, but…she kinda maybe sorta liked that about him.

Plus, he was clearly a secret romantic…

Hinata was so lost in her thoughts – again – that she didn't get the instruction to take out a notebook until Genma called her name three more times and Kiba pinched her arm.

* * *

><p>Ino was a persistent sort of person. It was a trait that came with her whole "loud-proud-shameless overachiever" personality package. Ino always got her man – both literally and figuratively.<p>

Currently, Sasuke was her man. (Figuratively.)

"So how was your break, Sasuke?"

Disinterested glance her way, and then he turned back to his computer.

"Mine was fantastic. I went to, like, six New Years' parties. In one night. It took three showers to get all the body glitter off."

This time he didn't even turn.

"But I guess that doesn't interest you. Not as much as Hinata's break. You know. With her getting together with Gaara and all."

Sasuke was still for a second, and then he sighed. He swiveled around, and leveled her with a look. "What do you want, Yamanaka."

Ino smiled, the picture of innocence. "I just want what's best for Hinata. Don't you?"

"I don't particularly care either way."

"That's not what Deidara reported back to me." She tilted her head to the side. "What, did you think I'd forgotten about that?"

"I wouldn't cite Deidara as your main source on anything." His tone was derisive, but his eyes were wary. _Gotcha._

"No, normally I wouldn't. In fact, I just had him confirm my suspicions. He told me how you reacted when he told you I knew. I baited, and you bit." At this point she had Sasuke's full attention. She went on, stifling a smile. "But you're right, Deidara isn't reliable. My real evidence is you, acting like a brat because Hinata has a boyfriend now and it's not you." She tried to sound casual, but it was difficult. After years of pining for Sasuke, and feeling like crap every time he brushed her off, it was immensely gratifying to see him failing in his lackluster pursuance of Hinata.

His eyes narrowed a fraction. "The depth of your delusions continues to amaze me."

Ino wrinkled up her nose. "God, no wonder she doesn't like you. In fact, keep talking like that, and none of the girls will."

"The point, Yamanaka? If you have one." He was full-on glaring now.

She scooted her swivel chair closer, not wanting to be overheard in the quiet computer lab. "My point is that Sakura and I have agreed that you are no good. For Hinata," she said matter-of-factly. "We think you should stay away."

Sasuke closed his eyes, as if exasperated. "I don't care," he said, emphasizing each word. "About Hinata or her relationship. If there's any way I can make that clearer to you, please enlighten me."

Ino ignored him. "We've thought about it, and Sakura and I just think that Hinata is better off with Gaara. He's less…" she searched for a word. "Complicated than you are. Emotionally." She paused, laughed. "Oh my god, did I really just say that?"

Sasuke turned back to his computer.

"Oh, don't pout. There are plenty of other girls who are into you. I mean, not me…" she thought about it for a second, then shook her head. "Nah, not me. But plenty. You could have anyone. Hell, even with all this, Sakura probably still likes you."

Sasuke kept typing. "Really."

"Oh yeah. I mean, if you wanted to, you could probably ask her out today. She'd say yes. But, you don't like her, so…" Ino trailed off.

To her surprise, Sasuke did not affirm her statement. "Hm," was all he said.

Ino stared at the back of his head. "Wait, are you actually considering this? Are you thinking about asking Sakura out? After you've rejected her about a thousand times?"

"Of course not, Yamanaka." His voice, which she had become an expert in discerning, was not of his usual chilly indifference. It was – was he – _mocking_ her?

Ino gaped. Oh my god, no. This was so wrong. "Listen here, Uchiha, you had better not ask Sakura out."

Sasuke swiveled. "Why not? She's free. She's interested."

"You just – because – you just _can't_!" she hissed. "You don't like her!"

"Maybe I do," said Sasuke, leaning back in his chair. "Maybe I've just realized that Sakura is the one for me. Why are you so against it, Yamanaka? Are you jealous?"

Ino had a hard time keeping herself from slapping him. "You're planning something! Somehow, you think dating Sakura is gonna get you closer to Hinata! Well I'm not gonna let that happen!"

Sasuke tilted his head slightly. "Like I said – your delusions amaze me." He stood, rolled his shoulders, and Ino scowled. Damn it, he was attractive and he wasn't even trying! There was no way Sakura would say no to him! "Do you know where Sakura is this class period?" he asked, not looking at her.

"Fuck you," Ino snarled.

He shrugged carelessly and exited the computer lab, leaving behind a fuming Ino, who crossed her arms and ground her teeth. Damn it. This was not how she wanted this conversation to go.

And for god's sake, would it kill him to call her by her first name?

* * *

><p>Hinata was waiting for her ride in the bus circle when she heard Sakura's voice behind her, calling her name. She turned, already smiling, and her eyes went wide as dinner plates.<p>

Sakura was walking towards her. Sasuke Uchiha was with her. They were holding hands.

Her pink-haired friend was beaming like she'd won the lottery. "Hi, Hinata," she said in a tone bursting with barely restrained excitement.

"Hi," Hinata said, trying to pull her eyes away from their clasped hands. She was finding it impossible.

Finally she looked up, and they were both looking at her. She smiled as best she could. "So…u-um…are you two…?"

Clearly Sakura had been waiting for her to ask. "Yes," she burst out. "We're together!" She sent Sasuke a look of pure adoration, and Sasuke gave her a half-smile, a sight so rare that Hinata found herself staring. Sasuke's eyes slid to hers and she quickly looked back at Sakura, mightily confused but supportive all the same. "I'm so happy for you," she told Sakura.

A light touch on her waist alerted her to Gaara's presence, and although she didn't flinch she felt her stomach do a few flips. It was not an unpleasant sensation. He said nothing in the way of greeting, but Sakura smiled at him too, all-encompassing in her joy. "Gaara!" she said, like they were old friends. Gaara nodded at her, and Hinata was suddenly struck with the notion that he might not actually know Sakura's name. "This is great. I'm dating Sasuke, and you're with Gaara. We can trade stories." A sudden inspiration lit Sakura's green eyes. "You know what?" she exclaimed. "We should go on a double date sometime!"

Hinata glanced up at her boyfriend, who was also staring at Sasuke and Sakura's intertwined fingers, having just noticed them. Hinata answered for them both. "That would be g-great," she said, shifting closer to Gaara. Sakura did the same, her smile wide across her face. She began talking excitedly, telling the story of how Sasuke had asked her out, directing most of it at Hinata but seemingly not caring who heard.

Hinata nodded and smiled in the appropriate places, but still had no idea what was going on. Sure, Sakura liked Sasuke, but since when had Sasuke reciprocated? Hadn't he, in no uncertain terms, told her that he would never ever like her? And another thing – several times when she looked, she found Gaara and Sasuke staring at each other, glowering almost, and wondered uneasily how they knew each other and why they were glaring like they were about to start a fist fight and if a double date was really such a good idea in that case. And if a double date was really such a good idea if she had never even been on a solo date before. And Gaara's hand on her waist, which had not moved, was making her cheeks hot and her stomach twirl.

But she just kept on smiling, through the confusion and the doubt and the butterflies in her stomach, because honestly she wasn't sure what else she should be doing. This was all new territory for her.

Not even that awful "You're a Teen Now" book she had gotten for her 13th birthday could help her now.

* * *

><p>Naruto sat glumly on the school steps, watching the four figures standing together. He might go over there, and talk to them, on any other day; but now Sakura was dating Sasuke, so neither of them was an option, and any comfort he might have found in talking to Hinata about his single-status woes was clearly not available – not with the way Gaara was holding her.<p>

And frankly, Gaara disturbed him.

It wasn't the end of the world, but it had definitely gotten to him. He really liked Sakura. Sasuke knew that. Why had he asked her out?

Naruto spied Sasuke's brother, walking across the parking lot, and was about to call out to him – he would take what he could get in the way of companionship, even if it was Itachi the Cheapskate Gas Hoarder. But then he noticed the tall blonde girl by Itachi's side. They were engaged in conversation, and were walking quite close together. Naruto's shoulders dropped, and he put his chin in his hands. "Everyone's hooking up but me," he whined out loud.

Sai, sitting a few feet away, smiled at him. "I'm not hooking up with anybody," he said pleasantly.

"Fuck off, Sai," Naruto said sadly.

* * *

><p><strong>Me:<strong> Sasuke and Ino are more devious that we ever could have imagined. Well, no, not Ino. We all knew she was an evil mastermind. Now Sasuke is together with Sakura, and Hinata is with Gaara…and who's that girl that Itachi's with?

And Naruto is alone. (;_; )

Just how accidental was that feel you copped, Kiba?

Leave your thoughts. : )


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